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THE  WONDER  GIRL 

A  Tourist  Tale  of  California 


BY 
ANNA  E.   SATTERLEE 

Author  of  "Love's  Equality,"  etc. 


BOSTON 

SHERMAN,  FRENCH  &  COMPANY 
1915 


%,•.<?>••'•'•• l '"•'-'  " 


COPYRIGHT,  1915 
SHERMAN,  FRENCH  <&*  COMPANY 


To 

tourists  who  have  visited  Los 
Angeles  on  their  way  to 
and  from  the  Panama-Cali- 
fornia and  Panama-Pacific 
International  Expositions 


330430 


THE  WONDER  GIRL 

As  glad  as  spring,  as  gay  as  June; 
From  fear  of  trouble  quite  immune; 
Her  heart  with  summer  warmth  o'erflows, 
And  melts  for  Age  its  winter  snows. 

A  Wonder  Girl,  who  brings  to  youth 
A  realistic  sense  of  Truth, 
And  proves  that  he  who  largely  gives, 
Receives  full  measure  while  he  lives. 

AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  GUESTS  ANTICIPATED 1 

II  Two  OF  THE  PROSPECTIVE  GUESTS  .      .  10 

III  OTHER  Two  AND  A  "THIRD  PARTY"   .  18 

IV  WESTWARD,    Ho! 28 

V  THE    SURPRISE 39 

VI  SIGHT-SEEING 49 

VII  THE  ARRIVAL  OF  AUNT  LUCINDA   .      .  59 

VIII  THE  PICNIC  AT  EASTLAKE  PARK     .      .  69 

IX  AN  EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA      .  80 

X  DREAMS 91 

XI  THE  OLD  WAY  AND  THE  NEW  .      .      .  102 

XII  THE   MACHINE 112 

XIII  ON,  TO  SAN  GABRIEL 123 

XIV  AN    "AT    HOME" 133 

XV  MR.   NICHOLSON   ENTERTAINS     .      .      .  149 

XVI  AN   IMPORTANT  CALL 163 

XVII  FURTHER   SURPRISES         172 

XVIII  LITTLE   JOURNEYS 182 

XIX  GOOD-BY    ,  ,195 


CHAPTER  I 
GUESTS  ANTICIPATED 

The  news  came  late  in  the  month  of  January. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morley  were  at  breakfast  in  their 
pretty  dining  room,  where  dazzling  rays  of  Cali- 
fornia sunshine  poured  in  gloriously  through  plate 
glass  windows,  giving  the  polished  floor  and  azure 
tinted  walls,  the  panels  and  mirrors  of  the  ma- 
hogany buffet  and  its  array  of  silver  and  cut- 
glass,  a  glowing  touch,  while  a  part  danced  merrily 
over  the  wavy  brown  hair  above  Mrs.  Morley 's 
right  temple. 

A  maid  brought  in,  on  a  silver  tray,  the  letter 
containing  the  neAvs  and  laid  it  beside  the  lady's 
plate. 

Mrs.  Morley  glanced  at  the  postmark  and 
passed  the  missive  on  to  her  husband. 

"  From  your  Brother  George's  wife,"  he  said 
in  a  declaratory  tone,  as  he  returned  the  letter 
unsealed. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered. 

There  was  little  of  interest  within,  except  men- 
tion of  a  proposed  visit,  of  which  Mrs.  Morley 
read  aloud: 

' '  Sister  Ruby  intends  going  to  Los  Angeles  about 
a  month  from  now,  with  a  party  on  their  way  to  the 

1 


2  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Panama-Pacific  Exposition  and  the  other  fair  at  San 
Diego.  If  convenient,  she  would  like  to  spend  a  few 
days  with  you,  and  with  your  permission,  will  bring 
a  girl-friend,  Carol  Wilton.  Nothing  has  been  said 
to  Carol  about  it,  so  if  you  would  rather  not  consent, 
it  will  be  perfectly  all  right ;  but  I  know  you  love  com- 
pany of  the  proper  sort,  and  it  would  be  worth  all  it 
would  cost  you  to  hear  the  young  lady  laugh.  Be- 
sides, she  sings  equal  to  a  whole  chorus  of  birds, — 
began  caroling  around  the  house  when  a  mere  baby, 
her  mother  told  me.  For  that  reason  she  was  eventu- 
ally christened  Carol,  though  at  first  they  had  named 
her  Ruth. 

'  The  Wiltons  are  new  people  here, —  settled  in 
our  neighborhood  last  year;  but  we  know  they  are 
genuine.  They  came  from  Illinois  so  Mr.  Wilton 
could  be  nearer  his  mining  interests.  By  the  way,  he 
has  relatives  in  New  England  who  know  Charles's 
Uncle  Eben. 

'  The  rest  of  the  party  will  stop  at  a  hotel.  They 
all  want  to  visit  Los  Angeles, —  even  those  who  have 
been  there  before.  Strange,  think  you?  I  wish  I 
could  go  myself,  but  George  would  have  a  spasm  if  I 
left  him  to  "  bach  it,"  and  you  know  this  is  his  busiest 
season.'  " 

Mrs.  Morley  had  once  looked  up  during  the 
reading  to  observe  the  effect  on  her  husband.  At 
the  time  he  was  apparently  absorbed  in  seasoning 
a  soft-boiled  egg  which  he  had  just  broken  into  an 
egg  cup.  Now,  regardless  of  other  interests,  she 
drew  a  long  breath  and  exclaimed: 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Charles  Henry?  " 


GUESTS  ANTICIPATED  3 

When  Mrs.  Morley  addressed  her  husband  by 
both  his  given  names  he  knew  that  by  some  means 
she  had  been  particularly  impressed.  Though  a 
thorough  business  man,  he  was  of  the  sociable 
kind,  and  inclined  to  hospitality,  so  he  answered 
cleverly : 

"  Good !  It  will  give  us  a  change, —  something 
interesting  as  a  recreation." 

"  Phil  is  coming  then,  too,  isn't  he  ?  "  she  asked 
with  a  perhaps-you-may-have-forgotten-it  air. 

"  That  needn't  make  any  difference.  We  have 
an  extra  guest  room,  haven't  we;  and  plenty  of 
dishes  and  things  ?  " 

"  Ye-s  —  but  two  girls  and  one  young  man ! 
Rather  one-sided  it  looks  to  me." 

"  We  might  write  Phil  to  hunt  up  another  bach- 
elor and  bring  him  along,  or  ask  him  to  defer  his 
visit  until  some  other  time." 

"  Oh,  I  wouldn't  put  him  off  for  anything.  I 
haven't  seen  him  since  he  was  in  knee  trousers ; 
but  he  was  a  nice  boy  then.  Now  he  is  a  uni- 
versity graduate.  I  wonder  if  he  is  a  ladies'  man, 
—  if  the  girls  would  bore  him?  " 

"  They  ought  not.  There  were  three  in  Un- 
cle Eben's  family,  you  remember.  Possibly  they 
spoiled  him.  But  I  should  suppose  he  must  have 
had  any  priggishness  taken  out  of  him  at  college. 
Most  fellows  have." 

"  You  know  by  experience,  of  course ;  yet  I've 
seen  some  college  graduates  with  conceit  enough 
to  sail  an  airship." 


4  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Ha-ha!     Have  I  got  it  as  bad  as  that?  " 

"  I  didn't  say  you  had,  and  Phil  wasn't  that 
sort  either,  when  he  was  a  kid." 

"  No  ?  If  he's  anything  like  Uncle  Eben  he 
has  plenty  of  self-esteem  all  right." 

"  I  thought  your  uncle  very  modest  in  talking 
about  himself.  He  has  a  fine  quality  of  brain, 
anyway ;  and  such  a  man  may  be  pardoned  a  few 
eccentricities.  Most  men  have  them, —  even  you, 
Charles ;  like  hanging  your  hat  on  a  sofa  pillow 
and  mislaying  the  clothes  brush.  Where  do  you 
suppose  I  found  it  the  last  time  you  had  it?  " 

"  Under  the  doormat?  " 

"  On  top  of  father's  portrait  in  the  hall.  I  had 
to  call  Mattie  to  bring  the  stepladder  in  getting 
it  down." 

"  That  comes  of  being  so  small." 

Mrs.  Morley  smiled  condescendingly,  and  re- 
verted to  the  news  under  consideration :  "  If 
Phil  would  bring  a  friend,  we  could  be  sure  of 
couples  for  shows,  dancing,  and  so  on.  No  girl 
likes  to  feel  that  she  is  personally  unattended,  and 
a  partnership  business  is  even  less  satisfactory. 
You  don't  suppose  Phil  has  a  girl  East,  do  you?  " 

"  Pie  may  have ;  but  we  have  had  no  notice  of 
an  engagement.  Now  I  think  of  it,  your  letter 
stated  the  Wiltons  have  relatives  in  that  vicinity. 
Possibly  Phil  has  met  the  girl,  Carol,  somewhere 
in  New  England." 

"  It's  not  improbable, —  there,  or  elsewhere ; 
distances  are  trifling  in  these  days." 


GUESTS  ANTICIPATED  5 

"Well,  shall  I  write  Phil?" 

"  Don't  tell  him  it's  inconvenient,  now.  He 
would  be  disappointed,  I'm  sure;  just  tell  him  the 
whole  story, —  who  the  girls  are,  and  that  he  may 
bring  some  one  else  if  he  thinks  best.  That  ought 
to  relieve  us  of  responsibility  as  far  as  he  is  con- 
cerned. Then  I'll  write  Sister  Helen  all  about  it, 
too,  and  tell  her  we  shall  be  happy  to  entertain 
the  girls." 

"  All  right,  that's  settled,  and  I  hope  your  con- 
science, ditto." 

Mrs.  Morley  ate  part  of  her  muffin  in  silence. 
The  news  was  suggestive  of  many  things  which 
did  not,  altogether,  concern  guests. 

Mr.  Morley,  a  well-built  man  of  vivacious  tem- 
perament, plainly  expressed  in  a  pair  of  hand- 
some, dark  brown  eyes,  was  evidently  enjoying  his 
beefsteak  and  coffee,  and  had  a  look  of  complai- 
sance which  promised  well  for  one  of  the  sugges- 
tions, at  least,  and  his  wife  resolved  to  make  it 
known.  She  began  cautiously,  by  calling  to 
mind  a  suggestion  of  his  own. 

"  I  was  just  thinking  of  your  Uncle  Eben's 
house,"  she  said.  "  They  had  been  painting  it 
recently,  when  we  were  there  on  our  wedding-trip, 
—  a  leather-brown, —  and  it  made  such  a  lovely 
background  for  the  green  rosevines  and  honey- 
suckle. You  remarked  that  when  we  had  a  house 
of  our  own  you  would  like  to  have  it  that  color." 

"  I  had  forgotten." 

"  Yes,  and  our  house  looked  really  pretty  in  the 


6  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

straw  color  and  white  when  we  bought;  but  it 
needs  painting  again;  and  why  not  do  it  now,  be- 
fore the  friends  come?  And,  Charles,  couldn't 
we  have  the  bow  window  for  the  den  we  have 
talked  of  so  often  ?  " 

"  We  might,  perhaps." 

"  And  a  roof  garden  ?  I've  thought  how  de- 
lightful it  would  be,  over  the  east  wing." 

"  An  ideal  place  for  lovers,"  laughed  Mr.  Mor- 
ley ;  "  I  see  you're  expecting  'em." 

Mrs.  Morley  smiled,  but  said  seriously :  "  It's 
quite  a  responsibility  taking  in  these  young  peo- 
ple." 

"  They  are  not  children,  I  surmise,  and  are 
probably  possessed  of  common  sense." 

"  Common  sense  doesn't  always  count,  though, 
in  heart  affairs." 

"  Intuition  leads,  eh  ?  So  much  the  better. 
Well,  we  will  talk  over  this  matter  of  repairs  again 
this  evening.  I  must  be  going  to  the  office;  ex- 
pect a  man  to  meet  me  at  nine  o'clock." 

Mrs.  Morley  picked  a  raveling  from  the  collar  of 
his  light  overcoat  as  she  helped  him  to  adjust  it, 
and  when  he  was  quite  ready  to  start,  bade  him 
good-by  with  a  merry  heart.  "  Charles  is  a  kind 
man,"  she  thought,  and  caught  herself  humming 
songs  all  through  the  day.  Because  she  was  a 
happy  wife,  she  permitted  herself  to  imagine  Carol 
and  Ruby  in  a  cozy  pavilion  in  her  new  roof  gar- 
den, with  Cupid  conveniently  lodged  at  their  el- 
bows. And  why  not?  Wasn't  love  the  sweetest 


GUESTS  ANTICIPATED  7 

thing  in  the  world, —  and  the  best  ?  What  if 
sometimes  it  did  give  people  heartache?  That 
should  be  better  than  to  never  know  one  has  a 
heart  that  is  anything  more  than  a  mere  machine 
for  pumping  blood  through  one's  veins. 

The  house  was  subjected  to  the  throes  of  re- 
juvenation the  very  next  day. 

"  'Twas  ever  so  dear  of  you,  Charles,  to  be  will- 
ing to  do  so  much  to  please  me,"  complimented 
Mrs.  Morley. 

"  I  suppose  I'll  get  a  little  good  out  of  it  my- 
self," he  answered,  smiling. 

"  I  hope  so,  surely ;  and  so  will  all  our  friends," 
she  replied. 

For  a  few  weeks  the  lady  was  strenuously  busy, 
was  obliged  to  decline  various  invitations  to  social 
functions  and  club  meetings,  and  felt  herself  as 
closely  confined  at  home  as  a  seamstress,  or  the 
mother  of  several  small  children  with  no  maid. 

"  But  what  of  that  ?  We  have  everything  so 
prettily  arranged  at  last,  Charles,"  she  said. 

A  neighbor  called  one  morning  when  all  was 
"  spink  and  span  "  and  Mrs.  Morley  conducted  her 
over  the  place. 

"  It  is  perfectly  grand !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  And 
what  a  lovely  Persian  rug  in  the  den !  " 

"  Yes,  it's  the  prettiest  of  its  size  I  saw  any- 
where." 

"  You  have  such  excellent  taste,  Mrs.  Morley ; 
but  I  want  especially  to  see  your  roof  garden.  I 


8  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

almost  envied  you  when  I  saw  Steve  setting  out 
the  plants." 

On  the  way  up,  the  neighbor  declared :  "  The 
only  thing  I  miss  over  here  is  children  running 
about  and  upsetting  things.  You  should  have 
seen  my  Jamie  this  morning.  While  I  was  'phon- 
ing the  grocery  order,  he  stole  into  the  cook's  pan- 
try and  helped  himself  out  of  the  egg  basket.  He 
sat  right  down  on  the  floor  and  broke  five,  then 
stuck  his  fingers  in  the  '  gavy  '  as  he  called  it.  I 
caught  him  lapping  them  off." 

"  A  terror,  isn't  he?  Do  you  suppose  he  would 
break  eggs  on  my  new  rug?  But  he's  awfully 
cute,  and  when  you  tire  of  him  send  him  over  here. 
I'll  adopt  him." 

"  I'll  remember  that." 

As  they  reached  the  landing,  the  lady  exclaimed : 
"  What  a  perfect  place:  rustic  chairs,  settees,  pot- 
ted plants,  climbing  vines,  and  —  the  pavilion ! 
Did  you  plan  it  all,  Mrs.  Morley  ?  " 

"  Every  bit." 

Underneath  the  pavilion,  on  a  cushioned  seat, 
lay  Pug,  the  family  dog.  Entering,  the  neighbor 
patted  him,  graciously,  saying :  "  What  a  nice 
lounging  place  for  him, —  and  for  tired  people, 
and  lazy  people !  " 

"  And  for  guests.  I'm  expecting  some  soon, — 
quite  a  party." 

"  Do  tell  me  about  it." 

"  They  are  to  be  here  — " 


GUESTS  ANTICIPATED  9 

"  Somebody's  wanting  Mrs.  Doane  at  her  tele- 
phone," shouted  Mattie  from  below. 

"Now  isn't  that  always  the  way?"  said  the 
lady — "  just  when  one  is  most  interested  in  some- 
thing else.  But  you'll  come  over.  I  shall  want 
to  hear  about  the  guests,  you  know.  Good-by." 

Returning  to  her  own  home,  she  met  Mr.  Mor- 
ley. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  the  preparatory?  " 
he  asked,  and  seeing  her  puzzled  look :  "  Did  you 
ever  hear,  Mrs.  Doane,  of  a  woman  expecting  com- 
pany who  didn't  think  it  necessary  to  rebuild  and 
refurnish?  " 

"  Ha,  ha.  It  makes  a  good  excuse,  Mr.  Mor- 
ley,  and  most  of  us  like  a  change  now  and  then, — 
even  the  men.  Mrs.  Morley  has  done  you  proud." 

"  I  guess  you're  right.  She  usually  does,"  he 
acquiesced ;  "  but  don't  tell  her  I  said  so.  She  is 
feeling  quite  vain  already." 

"  Oh,  no !  I  never  tell  secrets,"  laughed  Mrs. 
Doane. 


CHAPTER  II 
TWO  OF  THE  PROSPECTIVE  GUESTS 

In  the  city  of  Boston,  enjoying  an  evening  at 
his  club  with  a  particular  friend,  sat  "  Phil," —  a 
tall,  broad-shouldered  youth  of  twenty-five.  His 
face  was  ruddy  with  health,  for  he  was  a  farmer's 
son.  Benefitted  in  the  years  of  his  adolescence  by 
the  strict  regime  of  the  parental  home,  the  effect  of 
his  early  training  had  not  been  dissipated  by  col- 
lege life.  While  reasonably  studious,  he  had  en- 
gaged in  most  sports  permitted  by  the  faculty,  not 
to  mention  others  of  which  they  were  supposed  to 
have  no  definite  knowledge.  There  had  been  pri- 
vate suppers  in  private  suites,  and  evening  func- 
tions where  he  had  met  fair  maidens  of  Cambridge 
and  the  Back  Bay,  and  of  other  localities  of  re- 
nown in  and  about  Boston,  besides  many  of  other 
cities,  who,  as  visitors  at  the  "  Hub,"  had  been 
pleased  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  "  Harvard 
Boys." 

Several  times,  indeed,  he  had  been  half  in  love 
with  a  pretty  face,  or  a  sweet  voice,  or  a  pair  of 
absorbing  eyes ;  and  once  or  twice,  at  least,  he  had 
imagined  that  his  fate  lay  in  the  hands  of  some 
charming  girl.  But  thus  far  the  imagery  wrought 
about  the  fair  one  had  been  dispelled,  leaving  him 

adrift  on  the  Sea  of  Bachelorhood. 

10 


TWO  GUESTS  11 

After  completing  the  regular  college  and  law 
courses,  he  had  gone  abroad  on  a  business  and 
pleasure  trip  with  an  elderly  uncle;  had  seen  all 
that  most  tourists  see  of  London  and  Paris,  of  Lis- 
bon and  Madrid,  of  mountain  and  fen  in  Switzer- 
land, of  bustling  Berlin  and  quaint  old  Amster- 
dam, of  St.  Petersburg,  Naples,  Venice  and  Rome. 
Furthermore,  he  had  crossed  the  Mediterranean, 
sailed  up  the  Nile,  had  a  glimpse  of  sphinx  and 
pyramid  and  of  African  marts,  and  a  tour  of  Pal- 
estine. 

He  resolved  that  he  would  never  forget  to  be 
grateful  to  this  uncle  with  money  and  a  talent  for 
spending  it,  especially  with  so  estimable  a  purpose 
as  the  education  by  observation  of  a  nephew;  and, 
too,  that  he  understood  and  appreciated  youth  so 
thoroughly  as  to  have  exacted  no  more  than  good 
comradeship,  permitting  him  to  wander  off  at  will 
wherever  his  fancy  dictated,  and  to  return  with  as 
small  an  apology  for  his  absences  as  he  chose  to 
offer. 

"  I  believe  I  can  trust  you,  Phil ;  if  I  hadn't 
thought  so,  I  shouldn't  have  asked  you  to  come 
with  me,"  he  said,  before  they  had  gone  far  on 
their  journey;  and  this  remark,  spoken  with  much 
sincerity,  acted  always  as  an  incentive  to  good  be- 
havior. Consequently,  the  trip  had  been  a  sup- 
plementary school  of  no  mean  order,  and  the 
younger  man  had  broadened  mentally  and  so- 
cially. 

Much  that  he  had  learned  from  books,  he  there 


12  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

realized  for  the  first  time.  Places  that  had  been 
in  his  mind  but  little  more  than  a  name,  became 
potent  agencies  in  moulding  memory-images  and 
coloring  his  conceit.  Art,  in  bronze  and  marble, 
on  stretches  of  canvas,  in  frescoed  galleries,  on 
carven  pillars,  in  fountains  and  magnificent  pal- 
aces and  grand  cathedrals,  took  on  a  new  and 
vivid  form  of  existence.  They  emphasized  the 
uses  of  development  in  mental  and  spiritual  as  well 
as  in  physical  lines.  The  rhymes  of  Greek  and 
Roman  poets  and  the  prose  of  ancient  philoso- 
phers with  which  he  was  familiar  enabled  him  the 
better  to  comprehend  scenes  in  which  they  had 
moved  and  of  which  they  wrote.  Everywhere, 
amid  the  new  of  the  old  world,  he  saw  ruins, —  re- 
minders of  past  centuries  and  their  peoples, — 
kings  and  subjects,  priests  and  peasants,  noblemen 
and  slaves,  warriors  and  statesmen,  artists,  musi- 
cians, and  literati. 

Young  as  he  was,  and  seldom  inclined  to  moral- 
ize upon  life's  duties  or  pleasures,  he  had  felt 
strangely  solemn  at  times,  and  desirous  of  achiev- 
ing for  himself  a  name  which  should  be  considered 
worthy  of  perpetuation  in  the  new  world  across  the 
sea. 

At  present  his  face  was  not  only  ruddy  with 
health,  but  glowed  with  a  form  of  intelligence  one 
likes  to  study.  His  features  were  well-balanced, 
brow  overtopping  chin  evenly,  and  the  nose,  not 
too  prominent,  but  giving  firmness  to  the  contour 
of  the  face ;  a  fine  mouth  which  might  befit  an  ora- 


TWO  GUESTS  13 

tor;  eyes  blue,  of  a  deep  shade;  eyebrows  but 
slightly  curved,  and  of  an  auburn  hue  matching 
the  luxuriant  growth  of  hair  on  the  massive  head. 

The  friend  mentioned  was  a  college  chum,  an- 
other athlete  in  point  of  size, —  one  who  would  be 
quickly  noticed  in  a  crowd  of  men  by  his  distingue 
air.  He  was  of  the  blond  type,  generous-hearted 
and  a  thoroughly  likeable  young  man,  despite  the 
evidences  of  pride  in  his  demeanor.  His  immedi- 
ate forebears  told  of  the  blood  of  English  royalty 
in  their  veins.  It  was  natural  for  him  to  carry  his 
head  as  if  it  were  accustomed  to  a  crown. 

Phil,  whose  full  name  was  Philip  Winthrop 
Tracy,  and  this  big  blond,  Hubert  Marshall,  had 
been  intimate  friends  since  the  Freshman  year  at 
college.  They  had  roomed  together,  eaten  at  the 
same  table,  pored  over  the  same  books,  and  played 
much  the  same  games,  though  Marshall  had  ex- 
celled at  rowing,  while  Phil  had  championed  foot- 
ball. 

Now  they  were  planning  a  business  partnership 
in  some  city  not  yet  decided  upon.  Marshall  fa- 
vored the  home  city,  Boston ;  but  Phil  was  for 
pushing  Westward,  and  had  ever  at  his  tongue's 
end,  as  an  answer  to  Marshall's  entreaties  to  re- 
main where  both  were  best  acquainted,  the  time- 
worn  advice  of  Horace  Greeley  to  aspiring  young 
men. 

Sometimes  Marshall  would  rebel  and,  forgetful 
of  his  inheritance,  mutter  a  veritable  swear-word ; 
but  it  had  small  effect  on  the  determined  Phil. 


This  evening  Phil  had  an  inducement  to  offer, 
and  did  not  mention  Horace  Greeley. 

While  the  two  were  chatting  amicably  over  their 
cigars,  he  made  known  the  incentive  to  go  West. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  a  trip  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  early  in  March,  Bert?  "  he  began. 

"  An  investigating  tour?  "  questioned  Marshall, 
without  enthusiasm  and  with  the  inception  of  a 
bored  look  about  the  eyes. 

"  Not  at  all.  At  least,  not  primarily.  I  have 
an  invitation  for  self  and  friend  at  a  cousin's  in 
Los  Angeles.  There  is  to  be  a  sort  of  house- 
party,  I  infer.  Some  acquaintances  from  Denver 
are  to  be  there." 

"  Anyone  we  know  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,  but  we  could  soon  learn." 

"Girls?" 

"  Well,  yes,  the  Denver  friends  are  young  la- 
dies. You  see  I  wrote  Cousin  Charles  that  I  in- 
tended going  out  to  see  the  exposition, —  probably 
in  the  early  spring, —  and  would  like  to  stop  over 
in  his  city  a  few  days." 

"  Ah,  I  see." 

"  One  of  the  young  ladies  is  sister-in-law's  sis- 
ter,—  or  some  such  connection, —  of  Cousin 
Charles's  wife,  and  the  other  is  a  Miss  Wilton." 

"  Wilton  —  Wilton.  Pve  heard  that  name  be- 
fore, somewhere." 

As  a  third  member  of  the  club,  and  an  insistent 
one,  approached  at  this  juncture  to  make  an  ap- 
pointment with  the  two  for  the  morrow,  Marshall 


TWO  GUESTS  15 

relinquished  an  intention  of  chasing  his  memory 
after  a  something  which  resembled  a  bird's  song. 

Later,  when  the  intruder  had  departed,  he 
caught  it,  as  hunters  say,  on  the  wing. 

"  Phil,  that  Miss  Wilton  is  an  Illinois  girl,  I'll 
bet  you  a  souvenir.  I  met  her  in  Chicago  a  year 
or  so  ago,  at  a  charity  ball.  Do  you  know  if  her 
intimate  friends  call  her  '  Carol '  ?  " 

"  That  happens  to  be  her  appellation ;  but  this 
one  lives  in  Denver,  and  Wilton  isn't  so  uncommon 
a  name.  Don't  feel  too  sure  of  yourself,  Bert." 

"  I  confess  it  does  seem  ridiculous,  but  I  believe 
it  is  the  same  girl.  Mighty  bright!  Makes  one 
think  of  a  nightingale,  tuberose  and  ripe  cherry, 
all  in  one.  I  had  two  dances  with  her  and  sat  out 
a  third.  She  can  waltz  and  no  mistake,  hardly 
touched  the  floor  at  all,  seemed  to  be  swinging  on 
air.  Well,  you  may  count  on  me,  old  man." 

"Good!     Then   we'll   call   it   done.     I'll   write 
Charles  our  acceptance.     But  look  here,  Bert,  you 
will  give  me  a  chance  to  speak  to  her  now  and  then,1* 
won't  you  ?  " 

"  Isn't  there  another?  I  understood  you  to 
mention  a  plural  number." 

"  Yes,  Miss  Guild,  Ruby  Guild." 

"  Well,  you  have  my  full  permission  to  converse 
with  and  to  accompany  Miss  Guild  whenever  and 
wherever  that  young  lady  gives  her  sanction." 

"  Ha,  ha !  I  foresee  a  bachelor  in  matrimonial 
ties.  No  doubt  they  will  become  you  first-rate. 
But  we  must  get  out  our  *  shingle  '  previously." 


16  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Can  hang  it  in  Los  Angeles,  can't  we?  " 

"How  about  Boston?" 

"  '  Go  West,  young  man,—  go  West ! '  "  Thus 
reiterating  Phil's  advice  Marshall  slapped  him 
heartily  on  the  shoulder;  but  to  prove  his  sanity, 
demurred :  "  I  guess  the  old  *  Hub  '  will  stand  a 
pretty  good  show  alongside  of  those  California 
towns,  Phil.  Why,  Los  Angeles  can't  hold  a  can- 
dle to  her  in  development.  Look  at  our  public 
buildings  and  higher  schools  of  learning,  our  gal- 
leries of  art,  our  parks,  and  our  men  of  letters." 

"  Ever  been  to  Los  Angeles  ?  " 

"  No.  But  one  doesn't  need  to  visit  a  place  in 
these  days  to  know  all  about  it.  Why,  an  author 
may  go  to  our  public  libraries  and  read,  then  write 
up  a  story,  or  description  of  a  foreign  city, —  just 
from  the  information  derived, —  which  will  actu- 
ally excel  anything  its  oldest  inhabitant  can  re- 
late ;  true  in  every  detail,  too." 

"  You  just  wait,"  responded  Phil,  dryly. 
"  Furthermore,  let  me  remind  you  of  the  old  ad- 
age :  '  Experience  is  the  best  teacher ' ;  and  I  be- 
lieve it  will  hold  especially  good  in  this  case.  Los 
Angeles  is  said  to  be  enchanting  of  itself.  Los 
Angeles,  plus  nightingales,  ripe  cherries  and  what- 
not, with  human  form  divine,  the  gift  of  fascinat- 
ing speech,  the  glance  of  wonderful  orbs  which 
may  convey  a  hundredfold  more  than  word  of 
mouth  —  and  the  play  of  soul, —  which  is  more 
subtle  and  charming  still  than  all  else,  because  it 
may  be  felt  rather  than  seen, —  why,  Bert,  what 


TWO  GUESTS  17 

may  we  not  find  that  is  supreme:  akin  to  the  bliss 
of  most  elevated  spheres, —  to  gods  and  god- 
desses ?  " 

The  cigars  were  burned  low.  Marshall  tossed 
his  into  the  near-by  grate,  and  returned :  "  I'm 
going  home.  You  are  getting  too  much  for  me, 
Phil." 

Nevertheless  he  waited  for  his  friend. 

At  a  considerably  later  hour  the  chums  sepa- 
rated for  the  night.  The  old  Tracy  farm  had 
been  converted  into  a  fashionable  Boston  suburb. 
Marshall's  home  was  on  one  of  its  broad  acres, 
Phil's,  on  another. 


CHAPTER  III 
OTHER  TWO  AND  A  "  THIRD  PARTY  " 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  Patsy?  " 
"  I  repeat :     What  shall  we  do  with  Patsy  ?  " 
"  If  only  we  hadn't  told  him  we  should  depend 
on  him." 

"  If  only  — " 

"  Well,  those  two  words  belong  to  the  regretta- 
ble and  not  to  the  needy  side  of  the  question. 
Please  give  me  your  unbiased  opinion  of  the  may- 
can-and-must-be's."  And  Miss  Ruby  Guild,  sit- 
ting in  front  of  the  broad  mirror  of  her  dressing 
table,  in  her  cozily  appointed  boudoir,  brush  in 
hand,  held  it  idly  as  she  spoke.  Her  long,  dark 
hair  hung  loosely  about  her  shoulders,  which  were 
enveloped  in  a  pink-figured  kimono ;  and  her  hazel 
eyes  and  the  firmly  set  curves  of  her  small  mouth 
betokened  a  serious  consideration  of  the  subject 
named. 

Beside  her,  on  a  cushioned  window  seat,  sat  her 
friend,  Miss  Wilton,  dressed  for  calling.  Her 
pretty  blue,  tailored  suit  of  chiffon  broadcloth, 
and  her  hat  of  blue  velvet  trimmed  with  ermine, 
brought  out,  in  artistic  fashion,  the  cream  and 

cherry  tints  of  her  face,  the  wood-violet-blueness 

18 


OTHER  TWO  AND  A  THIRD          19 

of  her  eyes  and  the  brown-golden  hues  of  her 
fluffy  hair. 

"  But  you  have  known  him  so  much  longer  than 
I,"  she  answered.  "  Any  shot  of  mine  might  fall 
short  of  the  target." 

"  Do  you  think  it  would  do  to  show  him  Mrs. 
Morley's  letter?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  would  be  like  firing  with 
the  gun  halfcocked." 

"  There !  You  see  you  can  help  me,  after  all. 
Now  keep  on  your  thinking-cap  and  give  me  some 
more  ideas." 

"  I  think  I  should  make  the  information  as  im- 
pressive as  possible  by  telling  it  with  the  aid  of 
imagination." 

"  I  should  spoil  it,  my  dear,  but  you  could  do 
it,  Carol.  You  have  so  much  tact.  I  seem  to 
have  none  at  all,  when  I  need  it  most.  And  he  is 
coming  up  this  evening !  " 

Carol  Wilton  bit  her  red  underlip  slightly,  and 
the  next  instant  she  laughed,  in  a  soft,  rippling 
way. 

"  May  I  come,  too?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  will  you  come?  But  you  are  invited  out 
to  the  Pringhams',  aren't  you?" 

"  I'll  send  regrets.  It's  just  an  informal,  any- 
way,—  tell  them  it's  a  message  from  Boston,  re- 
quiring immediate  attention." 

"Good!     And  you'll  report  to  Patsy?" 

"  I'll  help.  Now  please  hurry,  or  we  shan't 
get  halfway  around  with  our  calls." 


20  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Quite  unexpectedly,  Mr.  Guild  brought  home 
a  friend  from  out  of  town  to  dine,  and  it  was 
somewhat  late  when  he  departed,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Guild  took  up  sheets  of  an  evening  paper 
in  the  library,  leaving  the  living  room  to  Ruby 
and  Carol  and  the  unsuspecting  Patsy,  who  was 
no  less  an  individual  than  Mr.  Guild's  junior  part- 
ner in  business,  Mr.  J.  Burke  Nicholson,  a  bach- 
elor of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  was  of  medium 
height  and  weight,  had  bluish-gray  eyes  express- 
ing honesty  and  friendliness,  a  rather  long  nose, 
flexible  mouth,  often  compressed  in  moments  of 
deep  thought,  but  easily  relaxed  into  smiles  of 
good  nature;  a  chin,  indicating  sufficient  will 
power  for  all  purposes  of  necessity,  and  hair  just 
beginning  to  show  iron-gray  above  the  ears. 

Mr.  Nicholson  had  known  Miss  Ruby  since  her 
years  were  told  in  single  digits,  and  had  seemed 
much  like  a  relative  of  the  family  during  the  later 
years  of  his  connection  with  her  father's  busi- 
ness interests.  Since  she  had  finished  school  and 
had  gone  into  society,  he  had  often  acted  as  her 
escort.  His  friendship  had  become  more  marked 
and  the  girl  was  beginning  to  resent  what  ap- 
peared to  her  to  be  almost  a  monopoly  of  herself. 
As  a  schoolgirl  she  had  not  been  unwilling  to 
accept  occasionally  his  kind  offers  to  chaperon 
her  to  places  of  amusement  and  to  and  from  the 
meetings  of  her  music  club,  or  church.  Now,  she 
very  much  desired  that  he  would  not  anticipate 
such  privileges,  especially  as  she  was  continually 


OTHER  TWO  AND  A  THIRD         21 

making  new  and  agreeable  acquaintances  among 
younger,  marriageable  men. 

And  this  prospective  trip  to  California !  He 
had  been  invited  to  join  the  party  by  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Merriman  of  Denver.  Ruby  and  Carol 
playfully  intimated  at  the  time  that  if  he  ac- 
cepted he  would  have  to  pay  for  the  pleasures  in- 
volved by  "  reading  up  "  all  places  of  prominence 
on  the  route,  and  later,  conveying  his  knowledge 
to  the  rest  of  them.  To  this  he  had  readily  con- 
sented, and  Ruby,  at  least,  was  fully  aware  that 
he  intended  to  comply.  She  knew,  also,  that  any 
retraction  on  her  part  would  be  likely  to  disap- 
point, perhaps  to  offend.  She  did  not  wish  to 
offend  and  would  be  sorry  to  disappoint,  because 
of  his  unmistakable  kindness.  But  those  "  Bos- 
ton fellows  "  !  Going  right  to  Mr.  Morley's,  too ! 
What  could  be  done  with  Patsy  that  would  seem 
discreet?  She  had  Phil  in  mind,  particularly. 
He  was  young,  cultured,  traveled,  and  handsome. 
And  Carol  Wilton  had  not  forgotten  a  charity 
ball  in  Chicago,  where  she  had  met  a  young  Mr. 
Marshall  of  Boston,  whose  acquaintance  she  hoped 
to  renew. 

Ruby  resolved  to  say  nothing  of  the  matter  un- 
til Carol  should  first  have  introduced  it  to  their 
visitor. 

He  was  accustomed  to  their  casual  frivolity, 
and  it  disturbed  him  as  little  as  the  frolics  of 
young  kittens  disturb  a  demure  old  cat.  He  was 
even  used  to  the  nickname  Patsy,  which  title  had 


22  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

been  assigned  him  on  a  St.  Patrick's  Day,  when 
he  had  strongly  upheld  the  devotion  to  that  re- 
nowned saint,  and  presented  each  of  the  young 
ladies  with  a  badge  of  green.  But  this  evening, 
he  was  surprised  by  their  seriousness  and  their 
formal  "  Mr.  Nicholson."  They  had  drawn 
chairs  in  front  of  the  glowing  grate,  for  the  night 
was  cool,  and  he  was  leaning  comfortably  against 
the  cushioned  back  of  a  large  rocker. 

"  You  do  look  so  contented,  Mr.  Nicholson," 
Carol  said ;  "  and  it  seems  too  bad  to  spoil  a  per- 
fect present  environment  by  assuming  dim  un- 
certainties, doesn't  it?  " 

"  It  depends  upon  what  the  dim  uncertainties 
promise,"  he  answered. 

"  Oh,  nothing  like  that  big  easy-chair  by  this 
delightful  coal  fire.  I  was  just  thinking  what  a 
prodigious  undertaking  it  is  to  go  away  out  on 
the  Pacific  Coast !  " 

"  That's  it,  is  it?  Well,  I  don't  know.  I  be- 
lieve a  man  should  be  willing  to  sacrifice  himself 
for  the  good  of  others,  you  know,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, I  mean.  Of  course,  I  expect  to  get  some 
benefit  personally  out  of  the  contemplated  jour- 
ney. It's  a  good  thing  to  get  away  from  business 
once  in  awhile,  for  instance." 

"  I  fear  you'll  not  be  much  benefitted,  unless 
we  release  you  from  your  promise  to  show  us  all 
the  interesting  sights,  and  tell  us  all  about  every- 
thing worthy  of  notice,"  interposed  Ruby. 

"  It  would  be  fatiguing,  certainly,  this  keeping 


OTHER  TWO  AND  A  THIRD         23 

your  eyes  open,  en  route,  lest  you  miss  something 
worth  while;  and  furthermore,  Mr.  Nicholson,  you 
are  quite  liable  to  have  four  on  your  hands,  in- 
stead of  two." 

"  Four?  "  curiously. 

"Four,"  nodded  Carol. 

"  Who  are  the  superfluities  ?  I  had  supposed 
it  was  all  arranged." 

"  So  we  had  supposed,"  she  declared,  with  a 
brief  display  of  dimples.  "  We  learned  differ- 
ently to-day." 

"  The  Merrimans  at  fault  ?  Some  other  young 
people  crowded  themselves  in,  or  what?  " 

"  Not  exactly  crowded,  I  think,  just  happened 
in.  They  are  not  to  start  from  Denver." 

"  Someone  from  somewhere  else,"  said  Mr. 
Nicholson,  absently. 

"  Two  from  elsewhere,"  corrected  Ruby,  cau- 
tiously, too  carefully,  perhaps,  for  Mr.  Nichol- 
son with  increased  interest  asked  abruptly: 
"  Two  young  chaps,  eh?  " 

"  Ah,  you're  guessing ;  but  they  do  happen  to 
be  young  men,"  conceded  Carol.  "  They  had 
planned  to  visit  the  Morleys,  or  one  of  them  had 
anyway,  before  the  Morleys  knew  of  our  going. 
He  is  a  cousin  of  Mr.  Morley,  Mrs.  Mack  said. 
And  Mrs.  Morley  wrote  not  to  let  it  make  any 
difference  about  our  plans.  They  would  be  only 
the  more  glad  to  see  us,  as  she  knew  she  could 
depend  on  us  to  help  entertain.  We  are  wonder- 
ing, Ruby  and  I,  if  these  young  men  would  think 


24  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

it  strange  if  we  were  off  every  day  with  our  own 
party  and  didn't  invite  them  to  go  along.  They 
will  be  strangers  there,  like  ourselves,  you  know." 

"I  —  see." 

"  And  if  they  should  go  all  about  with  us,  we 
should  need  to  call  upon  you  to  help  make  it  agree- 
able for  them." 

"  What  luck, —  for  the  other  fellows !  You 
wouldn't  rather  go  without  me,  of  course  ?  "  doubt- 
fully. 

"  No,  surely  not.  Nevertheless,  it  would  be  a 
great  deal  to  demand  of  you,  to  be  a  Cicero  for  so 
many  strangers." 

"  Both  strangers  to  you?  " 

"  I  met  one  of  them  once  last  winter  just  be- 
fore I  came  here." 

"  And  the  other?  " 

"  He  is  the  cousin  of  Mr.  Morley,  and  lives  in 
Boston." 

"  Do  you  know  the  cousin,  Ruby  ?  "  inquired 
Mr.  Nicholson,  with  a  turn  of  the  head. 

"  Only  by  reputation.  Mrs.  Morley  wrote  he 
had  lately  returned  from  a  trip  abroad,  and  was 
looking  for  a  business  location." 

"  Incidentally  a  better-half,  probably.  Well, 
this  chair  is  mighty  comfortable.  Guess  I'll  stay 
right  here." 

"And  let  us  wander  without  a  guide?  We've 
depended  on  you,  you  know,"  and,  in  a  sym- 
pathetic tone,  "  I  wouldn't  blame  you  though,  a 
mite,  if  you  stayed.  It's  a  most  unpromising  pre- 


OTHER  TWO  AND  A  THIRD         25 

dicament.  We  couldn't  be  rude  to  the  Morley 
guests,  now  could  we?  "  Carol's  eyes  wore  a  be- 
seeching look,  and  Ruby's  face  was  drawn  into  a 
pucker,  as  she  gazed  at  the  blazing  coals.  Carol 
was  actually  making  it  appear  that  if  Mr.  Nichol- 
son went  to  Los  Angeles  he  would  need  to  become 
a  martyr  for  their  sakes. 

"  It  would  be  self-denial  with  a  vengeance, 
wouldn't  it?  "  she  pleaded. 

"  I  should  say  so !  Two  young  dudes,  who, 
whenever  I  pointed  to  a  lovely  bit  of  landscape, 
would  have  eyes  only  for  you  two  girls.  I  still 
think  I  had  better  resign." 

"  But  we  want  you  to  go,"  averred  Carol. 

"  Certainly,"  added  Ruby. 

"  M-m-m-m-m,  I  see.  If  there  were  to  be  but 
one,  I  could  stand  it,"  he  continued  reflectively. 

"  You  will  promise  not  to  back  out,  won't  you?  " 
persisted  Carol. 

"  And  let  those  two  Easterners  rake  me  over  the 
coals?" 

"  Couldn't  you  endure  that,  if  necessary,  for 
our  sakes?  Besides,  they  wouldn't.  We  wouldn't 
let  them  if  they  wanted  to.  I  would  tell  them 
you  had  been  good  to  Ruby,  a  sort  of  protector, 
next  to  her  father  and  mother,  you  know,  ever 
since  she  was  a  tiny  —  little  girl." 

"Gracious,  what  a  length  of  time!"  he  ejacu- 
lated, ironically,  smiling  at  Ruby. 

"  It  really  is  quite  a  while  to  have  been  a  pro- 
tector" she  laughed. 


26  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Well,"  he  sighed,  "  I'll  go  with  you  to  Los 
Angeles ;  but  it  isn't  likely  those  Boston  chaps  will 
care  for  me  as  a  cicerone,  and  it  is  likely  they  will 
be  more  than  glad  to  tie  up  to  a  couple  of  pretty 
girls  like  you.  I'll  stop  at  a  hotel  as  I  planned 
at  first,  and  give  them  full  swing.  But  if,  by  any 
chance, —  by  any  chance, —  they  should  leave  you 
in  the  lurch, —  in  the  lurch,  mind, —  you  can  send 
me  word  and  I'll  come  to  the  rescue." 

"  You  are  generous,  Mr.  Nicholson,"  said  Ruby 
with  feeling. 

"  To  the  Boston  chaps,"  admitted  Carol. 
"  And  you'll  promise  to  call  at  the  Morleys'  to 
see  us,  won't  you,  Mr.  Nicholson  ?  We  don't  want 
the  other  fellows  to  think  they  are  the  '  only- 
onliest '." 

"  That  will  depend.  And  see  here !  If  either 
one  of  you  *  Mr.  Nicholson '  me  again  this  even- 
ing, I  shall  go  back  on  the  whole  agreement." 

"  Patsy,"  said  Ruby  sweetly,  "  you're  awfully 
good  and  kind,  and  I'm  going  to  ask  Carol  to  sing 
'  The  Duckling '  for  you  in  part  payment.  She 
does  it  the  cutest  you  ever  heard." 

"  Do,"  he  said. 

Ruby  went  to  the  piano  and  played  a  soft,  little 
prelude,  while  Mr.  Nicholson  looked  gravely  at 
the  fire. 

Carol's  voice,  however,  won  his  attention,  and 
her  manner  was  enchanting.  The  gravity  of  his 
countenance  lessened,  and  when  the  song  was 


OTHER  TWO  AND  A  THIRD         27 

finished,  his  mouth  had  expanded  into  a  pleased 
smile. 

"  Music  hath  charms.  Have  you  another 
duckling  piece?  "  he  urged. 

Carol  sang  again ;  then  Ruby  brought  a  dish 
of  sweetmeats,  and  the  trip  to  the  Pacific  Coast, 
if  not  forgotten,  was  but  a  faint  background  for 
nearer  delights. 

After  Mr.  Nicholson  had  left  them,  Carol,  who 
had  come  to  spend  the  night,  said  to  Ruby,  "  It 
wasn't  so  difficult,  after  all." 

"  You're  capital  at  conciliating,  my  dear,"  ex- 
claimed Ruby.  "  But  tell  me !  What  if  those 
young  men  should  ignore  us  ?  " 

"  Why  then,  we  have  Patsy,"  answered  Carol. 
"  They  won't,  though,"  she  asserted  confidently, 
with  a  twitch  of  her  red  lips. 


CHAPTER  IV 
WESTWARD,  HO! 

A  Pacific  Limited  was  speeding  its  many  miles 
an  hour  toward  the  "  Golden  State."  In  one  of 
the  Pullman  Palace  sleepers,  berths  had  been  re- 
served for  a  party  of  seven  from  Denver,  which 
consisted  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Merriman,  Mr.  Win- 
throp, —  a  wealthy  patient  with  "  a  belief  "  in  im- 
paired digestion, —  Miss  Winthrop,  his  sister,  a 
lady  of  mature  years, —  the  Misses  Guild  and  Wil- 
ton, and  Mr.  Nicholson,  all  of  whom  were  on 
board. 

It  was  nearly  nine  o'clock,  A.  M.  Ruby  and 
Carol  had  emerged  from  the  dressing  room  with 
freshened  faces  and  graces,  and  were  awaiting 
their  turns  in  the  dining  car,  talking  gaily,  mean- 
while, with  new  acquaintances  in  the  vestibule. 
When  at  length  opportunity  offered,  the  young 
ladies  sought  seats  at  one  of  the  tables.  Ruby 
was  in  advance,  and  Carol,  as  she  entered,  had  a 
glimpse  of  her  opposite-to-be.  His  face  was  en- 
tirely unfamiliar.  She  was  ravenously  hungry, 
and  just  beside  her,  on  the  table,  lay  a  menu  card. 
Ruby  had  found  another. 

"  Baked  apples  and  cream,"  she  read :     "  Fish. 

Omelets.     French  fried  potatoes  — " 

28 


WESTWARD,  HO!  29 

A  waiter  interrupted  by  placing  glasses  of 
water  before  them,  and  the  conductor  laid  a  pencil 
by  Carol's  card.  Taking  it  up  she  consulted  Ruby 
and  proceeded  to  fill  an  order  slip.  That 
finished,  she  lifted  her  glass  and  sipped  the  water, 
—  one,  two  swallows, —  and  then  her  eyes  wan- 
dered toward  sights  beyond  the  car-windows. 
Half  way  she  caught  an  amused  look  in  another 
pair  of  eyes, —  blue  like  her  own.  Her  gaze  be- 
came riveted  on  the  face  of  the  opposite  nearest 
the  window, —  the  straight  nose,  proud  lift  of  the 
head,  the  blond  hair  were  those  of  Hubert  Mar- 
shall. 

"  Pardon  the  interruption,"  he  observed,  still 
smiling. 

"  I  think  you  must  have  come  in  through  the 
window  and  changed  places  surreptitiously  with 
some  one  else,"  she  answered  soberly,  and  held  out 
her  hand  across  the  narrow  table, —  a  hand  as 
pretty  and  delicate  as  a  white-petaled  lily,  it  ap- 
peared to  Marshall.  He  was  almost  afraid  of 
crushing  it.  Even  the  slight  pressure  he  gave  it 
seemed  to  extract  fragrance, —  lily  or  violet,  he 
hardly  knew  which.  In  reality,  the  hand  had  re- 
cently been  plunged  in  violet  water;  but  anything 
so  prosaic  failed,  for  the  moment,  to  enter  the 
gentleman's  mind. 

"  My  friend  '  Phil,' —  Mr.  Tracy,  you  know,— 
Miss  Wilton,"  he  said,  turning  toward  the  big  au- 
burn-haired seatmate. 

Again  Carol  gave  her  hand. 


30  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  It  is  like  meeting  an  old  acquaintance,  Mr. 
Tracy.  We  have  heard  pages  about  you." 

"  I  hope  they  were  well  gotten  up,"  replied  Phil. 

"  Indeed  they  were,  most  properly  .  .  .  Ruby, 
your  sister's  brother-in-law's  cousin, —  is  that  cor- 
rect ?  —  and  Mr.  Marshall.  Miss  Guild,  gentle- 
men." 

Ruby  followed  Carol's  example  and  shook 
hands. 

"  I  had  supposed  that  we  knew  every  soul  on 
this  train,  by  sight.  We  were  off  at  every  stop- 
ping place  yesterday,  and  everyone  else,  it  seemed 
to  us,  was  off,  too,"  she  said. 

"  We  got  on  late  last  evening,"  Marshall 
acknowledged.  "  Came  over  from  Salt  Lake. 
Phil,  here,  has  to  be  humored  in  his  search  for  a 
business  location,  so  we  have  been  looking  along 
the  way.  I  think  I  shall  have  him  cured  of  his 
passion  before  we  are  through  with  our  journey, — 
unless  he  is  bewitched  at  Los  Angeles." 

"  I  should  have  supposed  that  you  might  have 
found  Salt  Lake  City  attractive,"  said  Carol,  bit- 
ing her  lip. 

"  It  did  look  as  if  one  ought  to  be  able  to  do  a 
large  amount  of  courting  there,  of  one  kind  or 
another.  The  dissensions  between  Gentiles  and 
Mormons  keep  things  somewhat  lively,  it  appears. 
But  Phil  said  if  we  were  to  settle  under  the  shadow 
of  the  Mormon  Temple,  where  Mormon  influence 
is  in  its  stronghold,  we  might  in  time  become 
polygamists,  and  it  would  cost  more  to  keep  sev- 


WESTWARD,  HO!  31 

eral  wives  in  gowns  and  other  apparel  than  we 
would  be  likely  to  make  by  means  of  the  Gentile 
opposition.  So  we  gave  up  the  idea." 

"  Print  gowns  are  inexpensive,"  suggested 
Ruby. 

"  Yes,  if  women  would  be  satisfied  with  prints, 
the  expense  would  be  nominal,"  continued  Mar- 
shall. "  Unfortunately,  polygamy  has  not  de- 
stroyed the  Mormon  woman's  taste  for  silks  and 
jewels." 

"  One  at  a  time  is  the  rule,  isn't  it  ?  First  wife 
humored  until  the  second  wife  steps  in,"  said  Carol, 
laughingly. 

"  Our  Eastern-bred  notions  of  chivalry  pre- 
vented our  delving  into  details,  Miss  Wilton,"  re- 
plied Phil. 

Ruby  gave  this  "  Cousin  Phil,"  as  she  had  re- 
peatedly heard  him  called,  a  glance  of  approval: 
He  even  exceeded  her  expectations.  He  had  a 
magnificent  physique,  was  well-groomed  and  had  a 
sensible  face,  she  concluded ;  not  that  she  was  un- 
interested in  Marshall,  but  she  had  wanted  par- 
ticularly to  like  Phil. 

Carol  felt  inclined  to  question  further. 

"  No  joking,  Mr.  Tracy,  there's  a  State  law 
against  polygamy,  isn't  there,  and  a  church  mani- 
festo, beside?  "  she  returned. 

"  Yes,  but  I  apprehend  it's  a  case  of  inherited 
tendency,"  he  answered.  "  A  Mormon  is  prob- 
ably as  sincere  in  his  convictions  as  a  Hard-shell 
Baptist  is  in  his.  It  is  astonishing  to  what 


32  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

lengths  people  will  go  to  support  their  denomina- 
tional prejudices.  They  become  as  much  a  part 
of  us  as  our  bodies.  They  are  even  closer  than 
heartbeats,  for  there's  an  end  to  those;  but  our 
beliefs,  or  prejudices,  or  whatever  you  may  choose 
to  designate  our  adherence  to  sect,  will  quite  pos- 
sibly cling  to  us  till  we're  well  into  the  next  sphere. 
These  Mormons  are  making  plenty  of  converts, 
right  now,  in  this  country  and  abroad.  They're 
spreading  like  the  proverbial  green  bay  tree.  Of 
that  I  am  sure ;  and  I  hardly  think  it  wise  to  treat 
them  as  a  joke." 

"  Doesn't  he  make  a  capital  pleader?  "  asked 
Marshall  of  Ruby.  "  If  I  were  a  Mormon  in  need 
of  an  attorney,  I  should  like  to  employ  Phil." 

"  Wouldn't  he  do  as  well  for  the  other,  the  Gen- 
tile class?  "  she  replied,  semiseriously. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  have  never  heard  Phil  in  a 
divorce  suit.  But  to  set  aside  a  subject  which  I 
confess  I  took  up  rather  frivolously,  what  a  piece 
of  good  fortune  it  is  that  we  are  saved  a  formal 
meeting  at  the  Morleys'.  I've  been  dreading  it 
all  the  way." 

"  Crossing  the  bridge  before  we  arrive  is  usu- 
ally a  worry-trip,  I  believe.  I've  found  it  so," 
answered  Carol.  "  But  as  the  bridge  in  this  in- 
stance has  proved  a  myth,  we  might  resolve  to  take 
flight  in  psychological  airships  and  cut  out  the 
bridges  in  future.  What  do  you  say?  " 

"  How  would  you  manage  if  the  airship  should 
take  a  plunge  ?  " 


WESTWARD,  HO!  33 

"  Oh,  the  right  '  make '  never  plunge,  and  I 
would  be  careful  not  to  patronize  the  other  kind." 

"  Some  sort  of  a  patent-right  affair  with  a  dis- 
tinguishing mark,  I  suppose?  You  see  I  want  to 
be  sure  about  it,"  the  questioner  persisted. 

"  Well,  no  —  and  yes.  Anyone  may  ride  in  it, 
or  claim  a  right  to  it  for  that  matter.  It  is  patent 
only  in  the  sense  of  being  public  and  conspicuous, 
and  doesn't  need  any  special  distinguishing  mark, 
—  same  as  a  smile,  or  a  sunbeam,  don't  you 
know?" 

"  Ah,  thanks.  And  begging  your  pardon,  law- 
yers are  quizzers  invariably,  how  may  one  know 
that  the  thing  isn't  a  copy?  These  are  days  of 
imitation ;  besides,  smiles  differ, —  some  are  de- 
ceitful,—  and  danger  lurks  in  many  a  sunbeam." 

"  Tell  him  to  use  common  sense  in  judging," 
suggested  Phil,  laughing. 

"  All  right,  I  will,"  laughed  Carol  in  turn,  "  and 
trust  intuition,"  she  added,  smiling  at  Marshall. 
Then :  "  Do  you  expect  to  like  California,  Mr. 
Tracy?" 

"  Certainly.  Why  not?  It  is  our  American 
Italy,  and  most  people  I  have  met  who  have  been 
there  speak  highly  of  it." 

"  And  you  have  lately  returned  from  the  Euro- 
pean Italy?  " 

"  I  came  directly  home  from  Palestine,  though 
I  visited  Italy  some  time  previously." 

"  Palestine !  Think  what  is  in  store  for  us, 
Ruby." 


34  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  You'll  have  enough  of  it  before  you  are 
through  with  him,  Miss  Wilton,  I  assure  you," 
said  Marshall.  "  He  even  talks  of  khans  and  cata- 
combs in  his  sleep." 

"  So  we  may  have  fresher  experiences  than  we 
had  thought." 

"  Miss  Wilton  was  abroad  last  year, —  you 
might  have  met,"  said  Ruby  to  Phil. 

Waving  his  hand,  he  replied :  "  Here's  to  re- 
grets that  we  were  not  aware  of  each  other's 
proximity." 

"  But  we  may  still  compare  notes,"  she  said. 

"  Meanwhile,  Miss  Guild  and  I  may  mount  the 
*  Angel's  Flight,'  or  some  other  eminence  in  Los 
Angeles,  to  keep  pace,"  suggested  Marshall, — 
"  that  is,  unless  she  wishes  to  compare  notes,  too." 

"  My  trip  abroad  is  prospective,  and  I  should 
much  prefer  taking  notes  to  comparing  old  ones," 
she  answered  lightly. 

"  Were  you  back  before  the  war  upset  things 
so  over  there?  "  asked  Phil  of  Carol. 

"  No,  we  were  caught  in  Switzerland,  and  had 
some  rather  difficult  experiences;  but  came  out 
safely, —  baggage  and  all, —  fortunately.  And 
yourself?  " 

"  I  returned  early  in  the  fall  without  any  se- 
rious trouble.  We  were  almost  too  far  South 
for  it  then.  The  Turkish  warships  of  the  Golden 
Horn  were  comparatively  peaceful,  and  British 
and  French  war  fleets  hadn't  commenced  churn- 


WESTWARD,  HO!  35 

ing  the  Mediterranean  on  their  way  to  the 
Dardanelles." 

"  Didn't  you  almost  wish  you  belonged  over 
there,  and  were  a  captain  of  artillery,  on  land, 
or  of  a  submarine,  in  the  navy  ?  "  queried  Ruby 
curiously. 

"  No,  not  over  there.  There's  something  cour- 
ageous and  fine  about  fighting  where  and  when 
one  feels  it  a  duty ;  but  when  I  am  called  to  be  a 
soldier,  if  ever,  I  hope  it  will  be  in  a  righteous 
cause.  Nobody  seems  to  know  what  the  war  is 
really  about  over  in  Europe.  It  doesn't  look  much 
more  reasonable  than  the  way  they  are  going  at 
it  down  here  in  Mexico.  There  seems  to  me  to  be 
considerable  selfishness  at  the  bottom  of  things." 

"  If  there  weren't,  there  couldn't  be  war,"  said 
Carol,  as  the  waiter  brought  finger  bowls,  and  re- 
turned order  slips. 

When  bills  were  paid  and  tips  left  on  the  wait- 
er's tray,  Carol  said  to  the  young  men :  "  We 
want  you  to  meet  our  Denver  friends.  Though 
perhaps  just  now  you  would  prefer  cigars." 

"  Cigars  can  wait,  eh,  Bert  ?  "  answered  Phil. 

"  To  be  sure.     Any  bachelors  in  your  party?  " 

"  Yes,  two,"  answered  Carol  promptly. 

"  Can't  you  coach  us  a  little  ?  " 

Lifting  her  left  hand  daintily  with  the  right, 
she  folded  down  the  thumb  and  third  and  fourth 
fingers.  Touching  the  uplifted  first  finger,  she 
began  a  description,  as  follows :  "  The  eldest, — 


36  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

that  is  this  one,  you  see, —  is  —  oh,  immensely 
wealthy ;  owns  oil  wells  and  copper  mines  and  rail- 
road stock  and  Denver  real  estate  and  an  interest 
in  several  buildings  — " 

"  Oh,  spare  us,"  exclaimed  Marshall.  "  I  ob- 
serve a  bridge  to  be  crossed  already.  Please  help 
me  find  the  airship." 

"  His  money  doesn't  concern  him  so  much,"  she 
said,  smiling,  "  as  what  he  considers  his  functional 
disorders.  So  your  bridge  is  another  delusion; 
you  won't  even  need  to  resort  to  an  airship.  This 
Mr.  Winthrop  is  a  patient  of  our  Dr.  Merriman, 
who  is  trying  to  infuse  a  hope  of  recovery  into  his 
mind.  He's  succeeding  rather  well,  too.  The 
doctor  has  great  faith  in  the  power  of  sugges- 
tion, don't  you  know ;  and  it's  very  little  in  the 
drug  line  Mr.  Winthrop  gets." 

"  Well  and  good.  If  he  is  young,  he  will  prob- 
ably imbibe  enough  optimism  to  cure  him." 

"  He  lacks  several  years  of  being  three  score 
and  ten.  Besides  human  life  is  gaining  on  its 
limit.  He  may  survive  a  hundred."  Carol's  eyes 
were  luminous.  Pointing  at  the  slim  second  finger, 
she  continued :  "  The  other  bachelor  is,  well  — 
I  really  think  I  should  leave  a  description  of  him 
to  Ruby.  He  is  her  father's  junior  partner." 

"  Ah?  "  said  Marshall,  looking  inquiringly  at 
Ruby. 

"  Come  and  see  for  yourself.  I  presume  we  may 
find  him  in  the  observation  car,"  she  answered. 

The  bachelor  in  question  was  occupying  a  chair 


WESTWARD,  HO!  37 

at  the  extreme  end  of  the  drawing-room.  Others 
of  the  party  were  in  their  own  coach. 

"  We  were  looking  for  you,  Patsy,"  said  Ruby, 
familiarly.  "  We  met  these  gentlemen  in  the 
diner.  They  are  the  friends  of  the  Morleys  whom 
we  had  expected  to  meet  later  on."  Then  followed 
a  formal  introduction. 

"  You  are  from  Boston,  I  believe,"  said  Mr. 
Nicholson. 

"  Not  long  since,"  answered  Phil,  "  yet  long 
enough  to  realize  that  we  live  in  a  pretty  big 
country." 

"  Do  you  notice  any  difference  in  Western  peo- 
ple? " 

"  A  little,  in  some  of  them, —  though  I  must  ad- 
mit that  divisions  according  to  points  of  compass 
have  been  largely  guesswork.  One  meets  mostly 
Easterners  on  these  West-bound  trains,  and  we 
find  them  wherever  we  go.  Your  Westerners 
have  the  reputation  of  being  broad-minded,  less 
conservative  than  our  New  Englanders,  for  in- 
stance." 

"  Well,  you  have  fair  specimens  of  Westerners 
in  these  young  ladies  here.  You'll  need  to  watch 
out  for  them.  They  have  few  equals  in  setting 
traps  for  the  unwary." 

"  Oh,  Patsy !  "  exclaimed  Ruby,  with  a  pretense 
of  chagrin. 

"  Why,  bless  me !  That's  nothing  against  you. 
It's  only  another  way  of  saying  you're  brainy." 

"  Then  I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  replied. 


38  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  «  Patsy,'  "  repeated  Marshall.     "  That  sounds 
exceedingly  refreshing  after  so  many  days  of  trav- 
eling among  strangers.     It  sounds  homelike,  too." 
"  So  it  does,"  agreed  Phil.     "  I  wish  — " 
But   the  wish  remained  unspoken,   and  though 
Carol,  looking  up  quickly,  interpreted  it,  she  did 
not  offer  to  bring  about  its  realization  then. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  SURPRISE 

Mr.  Nicholson  held  a  book  in  his  hand,  and 
Carol  noticed  that  while  talking  with  them  he  kept 
a  finger  on  the  page  he  had  been  reading. 

"  You  are  interested  in  that  story, —  don't  let 
us  disturb  you,  Mr.  Nicholson,"  she  said. 

"  It's  something  I  picked  up  at  the  Salt  Lake 
Station,"  he  explained,  "  not  so  absorbing,  though. 
Sit  down." 

"  I  think  I  would  rather  go  outside,"  confessed 
Ruby.  "  There's  more  of  this  lovely  air  out 
there." 

It  followed  that  the  four  from  the  diner  were 
soon  seated  on  the  rear  platform,  watching  in- 
dolently the  receding  track  and  passing  scenery, 
yet  quite  awake  to  mutual  interests. 

"  Let  me  think,—"  mused  Marshall.  "  Didn't 
you  tell  me,  Miss  Wilton,  when  we  met  at  that 
charity  ball  last  year,  that  you  were  studying 
voice, —  or  was  it  something  I  learned  from  a 
friend  of  yours  ?  " 

"  Quite  possibly  it  was  I,  though  I  haven't  any 

recollection  of  doing  so,"  was  the  reply. 

39 


40  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Carol  is  a  Nordica  in  disguise,"  declared 
Ruby,  and  Carol  returned  the  compliment  by  say- 
ing: "And  Ruby  is  splendid  at  the  piano." 

"  Good,  Marshall  has  his  flute  along,"  confided 
Phil. 

"  And  Phil  his  guitar,"  said  Marshall.  "  I  sur- 
mise there  is  music  in  store  for  us  all." 

"  Oh,  and  do  you  both  play  all  kinds  of  ac-< 
companiments  ?  "  asked  Carol,  growing  excited. 

"  Just  a  few,  speaking  for  myself,"  answered 
Phil.  "  Marshall  does  better." 

"  You  are  hardly  the  one  to  judge,"  replied 
Marshall. 

"  You'll  do,  both  of  you !  "  exclaimed  Carol, 
clapping  her  hands.  "  We'll  teach  you  anything 
you  may  lack,  won't  we,  Ruby?  "  and  without 
awaiting  Ruby's  decision,  she  went  on :  "I  have 
a  most  vivid  recollection  this  minute  of  music 
I  heard  in  Venice  every  night, —  such  wonderful 
music, —  right  under  our  windows,  in  the  gardens, 
on  the  water,  everywhere !  Why  can't  we  surprise 
the  Morleys  that  way, —  stop  over  a  train,  do 
something  unexpected?  " 

"  A  capital  idea,  Miss  Wilton,"  conceded  Phil. 
"  They  would  take  it  all  right,  and  they  aren't 
looking  for  us  fellows  to-day,  anyway.  Besides, 
I  know  of  a  costumer  in  Los  Angeles, —  used  to  be 
at  Cambridge, —  who  could  rent  us  some  Italian 
outfits,  say  tambourines  for  you  ladies,  and  any- 
thing else  we  should  need." 

"  I  suppose  the  Morleys  will  be  at  the  station 


THE  SURPRISE  41 

to  meet  this  train.  Sister  wrote  we  should  be 
there  this  afternoon,"  said  Ruby. 

"  Send  a  telegram,"  advised  Phil.  "  I'll  do  it 
for  you  at  the  next  station,  if  you  say  so." 

"  All  right.  I'll  sign  my  name  to  it,"  agreed 
Ruby.  "  We  might  say :  '  Met  friends.  Will 
stop  off  a  short  time,'  or  something  like  that." 

"  I  presume  we  would  better  take  our  Denver 
friends  into  the  secret,  too.  And  shall  we  include 
Mr.  Nicholson  in  the  serenade  ?  "  As  she  spoke, 
Carol's  lips  parted  in  a  smile  which  displayed  her 
very  even  rows  of  white  teeth. 

Phil  sought  Ruby's  eyes,  and  tried  to  read  there 
if  she  had  more  than  a  friendly  liking  for  this  Mr. 
Nicholson,  but  he  did  not  find  them  particularly 
communicative.  Nevertheless,  his  youth  forbade 
anxiety  on  that  score.  Both  he  and  Marshall  were 
inclined  to  believe  that  gentleman  a  sort  of  charit- 
able individual,  upon  whom  the  two  young  ladies 
might  wish  to  rely  in  an  exigency. 

Directly,  Mr.  Nicholson,  tired  of  reading, 
sauntered  out  on  the  platform. 

"  We  were  speaking  of  you,"  said  Carol,  ad- 
dressing him. 

"  So  I  surmised,"  he  answered  nonchalantly. 

"  I  wonder  if  you  would  enjoy  personating  an 
Italian,  in  our  contemplated  troupe, —  an  Italian 
versed  in  English,  who  would  act  as  an  interpreter, 
and  commend  us  to  the  Morleys.  We  are  plan- 
ning to  surprise  them  by  arriving  late,  and  play- 
ing and  singing  at  the  door  as  mendicants." 


42 

"They'll  enjoy  that,  no  doubt;  but  I  think 
you'll  have  to  excuse  me.  I  was  never  any  good 
at  trying  to  be  somebody  else,  and  besides,  Dr. 
Merriman  and  I  have  an  engagement  for  the  even- 
ing. I'm  sorry  if  it  will  inconvenience  you." 

Ruby  had  anticipated  a  little  showing  of  jeal- 
ousy, in  spite  of  his  declaration  in  Denver.  Mr. 
Nicholson  was  acting  very  cleverly,  if  he  were 
acting. 

After  lunch,  the  four  made  out  their  programme, 
sang  for  each  other,  taught  each  other  melodies, 
all  in  a  quiet  way,  and  retired  to  their  berths 
humming  songs, —  "  just  in  time  to  pack  up,"  Mrs. 
Merriman  reminded  them. 

The  train  arrived  at  its  destination  promptly. 
Dr.  Merriman  had  engaged  rooms  for  the  Denver 
party  at  one  of  the  large  hotels,  and  the  young 
people  who  were  to  be  guests  of  the  Morleys  ac- 
companied them  thither.  Soon  after,  they  went 
in  search  of  costumes,  Phil  keeping  close  watch  of 
passers-by,  lest  he  encounter  Mr.  or  Mrs.  Morley. 
Fortune  seemed  to  favor  them,  and  they  returned 
to  the  hotel  laden  with  various  packages,  not  wish- 
ing to  wait  for  a  messenger. 

After  dinner  there  was  a  rehearsal  in  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Merriman's  private  suite. 

"  I  wish  I  could  see  you  act  it  all  out  at  the 
Morleys',"  said  Mrs.  Merriman,  "  but  you  will 
come  down  to-morrow,  I  hope,  and  tell  me  about 
it." 


THE  SURPRISE  43 

"  Yes,  indeed,  Mrs.  Merriman,  if  we  possibly 
can,"  answered  Ruby. 

It  was  half  past  eight  o'clock,  when,  dressed 
in  elaborate  street  costumes  of  Italian  styles  and 
laden  with  mandolin  and  tambourines, —  the  young 
men  having  been  unable  to  procure  their  own  in- 
struments in  time, —  the  belated  guests  left  a  taxi- 
cab  at  a  near-by  corner,  and  ascended  the  terrace 
steps  to  the  Morley  lawn.  The  house  was  bril- 
liantly lighted,  and  through  lace  draperies  a 
charming  picture  of  the  interior  of  a  typical  Los 
Angeles  home  was  visible.  The  lower  front  rooms 
were  unoccupied,  and  the  four  ventured  along  the 
cement  walk  at  one  side  of  the  house,  and  hearing 
voices,  looked  upward,  to  find  a  mass  of  over- 
hanging vines  and  flowers. 

"  A  roof  garden,"  exclaimed  Carol,  under  her 
breath. 

They  listened  a  moment. 

A  woman's  voice  said :  "  Do  you  think  we  shall 
hear  from  them  again  to-night,  Charles?  "  and  a 
bass  voice  replied :  "  Possibly.  We  won't  have 
to  worry  anyway.  It  isn't  as  if  they  had  been 
delayed  by  a  wreck." 

"  No,  that  would  have  been  awful,"  said  the 
other.  "  The  cook  had  baked  a  fresh  cake,  but 
it  will  keep  all  right." 

Below,  there  was  suppressed  excitement.  Two 
girlish  hearts  beat  forcefully  beneath  unaccus- 
tomed habits.  Two  gallant  youths  bade  them  take 
courage;  then,  a  strain  of  melody  arose  to  Mr. 


44  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

and  Mrs.  Morley's  ears,  which  quite  astonished 
them, —  so  rich  and  deep,  so  sweet  and  weird  it 
sounded  on  the  evening  air. 

"  Charles  Henry !  What  does  it  mean  ?  "  she 
questioned  eagerly. 

"  It's  a  serenade,  evidently.  Some  of  your 
friends  have  heard  of  the  completion  of  your  new 
roof  garden  and  have  come  to  help  dedicate,  per- 
haps," said  her  husband. 

Again,  'a  strange,  sweet,  Italian  song  from  a 
throat  made  for  music.  It  was  Carol's  voice,  and 
Phil  strummed  an  accompaniment  on  the  bor- 
rowed mandolin. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morley  drew  to  the  edge  of  the 
garden  wall  and  looked  down  over  the  railing. 
Lights  from  below  revealed  dimly  the  strange  faces 
and  stranger  garb. 

A  pair  of  slender  hands  held  up  an  inverted 
tambourine.  Would  madam  give  "  a  leetle,"  to 
help  the  poor?  They  were  wanderers,  these  four, 
and  wanted  to  earn  "  monies  "  to  pay  their  pas- 
sage back  to  dear  old  Italy.  No  work  such  as 
they  did  at  home  could  they  find  in  this  country. 
Very,  very  poor  were  they.  Carol  interspersed 
some  broken  sentences  in  Italian.  Her  voice  was 
pathetic  and  bewildering. 

Mr.  Morley  was  puzzled;  but  a  quarter  wasn't 
much  to  lose.  He  threw  one  down  to  the  appar- 
ently fair  Italian,  saying:  "Do  you  know  you 
are  subjecting  yourselves  to  arrest?  But  go 
ahead, —  sing  some  more." 


THE  SURPRISE  4,5 

Carol  complied,  her  voice  tremulous  with  laugh- 
ter; but  the  listeners  on  the  roof  thought  it  might 
be  tears. 

Once  more  the  tambourine  was  lifted.  "  We  so 
poor,  so  far  from  home,"  she  pleaded. 

Mr.  Morley  threw  down  another  quarter,  his 
wife  protesting. 

"  I  don't  know  how  we  could  get  more  fun  out 
of  fifty  cents,"  he  said,  without  an  attempt  at 
privacy. 

"  Thanks,  much, —  indeed  very  much,"  said 
Carol,  and  encouraged  by  Mr.  Morley's  demeanor : 
"  Would  the  kind  padrone  permit  us  to  sleep  one 
leetle  night  in  the  gareege, —  costs  so  much  monies 
for  place  to  sleep.  We  so  poor!  No  friends 
here,  know  nobodies !  " 

"  Sleep  in  the  garage?  Oh,  my  man  has  charge 
of  that.  He  is  rather  particular  about  his  guests. 
But  where  did  you  learn  so  much  English  ?  " 

"  I  was  one  time  with  lady  in  Naples.  She 
Engleesh.  She  teach  me." 

"  You  are  all  brothers  and  sisters,  I  suppose, 
down  there  ?  "  said  Mr.  Morley,  his  mouth  twitch- 
ing perceptibly  in  his  efforts  to  keep  back  a 
smile. 

"  Yees,  we  brother  and  sister, —  all  of  us." 

"  Well,  go  around  in  front  of  the  house  and  I'll 
come  down  and  have  a  look  at  you." 

Perhaps  Mr.  Morley  thought  the  menticants, 
—  if  such  they  were, —  would  sneak  away  before 
he  could  reach  them ;  but  they  obeyed  implicitly. 


46  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Steve,  see  here,"  called  the  owner  of  the  es- 
tablishment to  his  man. 

"  All  right,  sir,"  came  from  the  rear  yard,  some- 
where. 

"  Did  you  hear  that  music  just  now?  " 

"  I  reckon  I  did.     Mighty  fine,  I  call  it." 

"  Well,  those  musicians  claim  to  be  poor  Italian 
travelers.  They  would  like  to  sleep  in  your  quar- 
ters to-night." 

"  Sleep  in  —  the  —  garage?  Will  you  hear 
that?  —  Earthquakes  an'  cinders!  Why  they'd 
be  off  with  the  machine  before  mornin' !  " 

"  With  you  there  to  watch  them?  " 

"  Did  you  take  notice  of  the  size  o'  them  fel- 
lers? Corbett  and  Sullivan,  not  to  mention  John- 
son !  The  machine  'd  be  a  goner,  or  there'd  be  a 
murder,  sure, —  likely  both !  " 

"  Don't  think  we'd  better  shelter  'em,  eh?  " 

"No  siree!" 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  'em  you  object." 

"  Better  let  me  fix  'em,"  Steve  muttered,  loiter- 
ing a  moment. 

At  the  front  steps,  just  a  little  away  from  the 
glare  of  the  lights,  stood  the  pretenders. 

Through  the  front  hall  came  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mor- 
ley,  followed  by  a  maid  and  Stephen.  The  gleam 
of  a  pistol  was  seen  beneath  the  man's  rough,  right 
hand.  Through  a  closed  screen,  Marshall  caught 
sight  of  the  weapon. 

"  Gad,  girls,  they  are  coming  after  us  with  a 


THE  SURPRISE  47 

gun !  "  he  said  in  a  whisper.  "  Off  with  the  head- 
rigging,  quick !  " 

In  an  instant  the  head  gear  was  removed,  ex- 
cept Phil's,  which  persisted  in  clinging. 

Mr.  Morley  threw  open  the  screen.  Before  him 
stood  as  charming  a  vision  as  human  eyes  may 
behold:  a  petite,  graceful  form,  in  soft  rainbow- 
hued  draperies ;  a  face  which  reminded  him  vaguely 
of  snowflakes  and  pink  geraniums ;  a  pair  of  grave, 
violet  eyes,  and  a  crown  of  disheveled,  gold-tinted 
hair,  glinting  in  the  blaze  of  the  porch  light.  A 
little  in  the  shadow  were  other  forms, —  two,  tall 
and  straight  as  Indians,  and  one  quite  small,  when 
viewed  comparatively. 

"  I'm  sorry,"  began  Mr.  Morley,  "  but  Steve 
thinks  we  haven't  any  spare  room  in  the  garage. 
It  wouldn't  be  comfortable  for  you  there,  anyway, 
if  there  were."  And  gazing  curiously  at  the  beau- 
tiful face :  "  It  would  be  more  appropriate  in 
the  house."  Almost  he  guessed  the  truth. 

"  What's  that,  Charles?  "  interpolated  his  wife. 

"  You'll  have  to  go  to  some  lodging  house,  I 
think,  unless  you  can  induce  Mrs.  Morley  here  to 
admit  you,"  he  continued,  smiling. 

Ruby  stepped  out  from  the  shadows. 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Morley,  don't  you  remember  me  ? 
We  met  among  the  Rockies,  not  so  many  months 
ago." 

"  Met  —  you?  —  Why  —  why  —  Charles 
Henry,"  she  cried.  "  It's  Ruby !  " 


48  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Stephen  with  his  pistol  was  close  at  hand.  He 
had  his  eyes  on  the  tall  figures  beyond,  shaking 
with  laughter  behind  the  rosevines. 

Mrs.  Morley  rushed  down  the  steps  and  clasped 
Ruby  tightly  in  her  arms.  "  Oh,  you  dear  little 
witch,"  she  laughed,  as  she  kissed  her  affection- 
ately. 

"  And  here  is  Carol,  Mrs.  Morley,"  said  Ruby ; 
and  pointing  to  their  companions :  "  There  are 
your  Cousin,  Mr.  Tracy,  and  his  friend,  Mr.  Mar- 
shall. We  met  on  the  train,  quite  unexpectedly, 
—  and,  well, —  can  you  take  us  in  ?  " 

*'  Charles  Henry, —  would  you  —  COULD  you 
have  believed  it?  "  Mrs.  Morley  exclaimed 
breathlessly,  as  she  greeted  each  in  turn. 

"  Well,  bless  me !  "  said  Stephen  with  his  fore- 
finger on  the  trigger  of  his  pistol. 

"  Go  and  shoot  yourself,  Steve,"  commanded 
Mr.  Morley,  laughing,  as  he  caught  sight  of  the 
weapon  for  the  first  time. 

But  Stephen  made  no  reply,  as  he  retreated 
with  the  maid  to  the  kitchen,  where,  with  the  cook, 
they  talked  for  an  hour, —  in  unison  with  the  party 
in  the  living  room, —  of  a  foiled  tragedy ;  the  dif- 
ference being  that  in  the  latter  place  there  were 
frequent  peals  of  ringing  laughter. 


CHAPTER  VI 
SIGHT-SEEING 

"  Everything  is  so  perfectly  delightful  about  it 
all!  How  can  you  ever  bear  to  leave  your  home 
to  go  anywhere,  out  of  town,  I  mean?  You  ought 
to  feel  quite  satisfied,  and  very  happy,"  said  Carol 
to  their  hostess,  after  a  partial  tour  of  the  prem- 
ises next  morning. 

"  Wait  till  you  see  the  roof  garden !  That  is 
the  crowning  point.  We'll  go  up  right  away," 
answered  Mrs.  Morley. 

The  invitation  included  Ruby  and  Carol.  They 
had  left  the  men  of  the  party  enjoying  morning 
papers,  cigars,  and  easy  chairs  on  the  wide,  front 
porch. 

Pug  was  already  comfortably  stretched  on  the 
cushions  of  the  pavilion. 

"  Such  laziness !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Morley,  as 
he  blinked  at  them  sleepily;  and  after  a  series  of 
pats  on  his  small,  brown  skull,  she  pushed  him 
somewhat  unceremoniously  aside.  At  this,  he 
winked  apologetically,  and  wended  his  way  toward 
an  isolated  corner. 

"  Have  seats,  girls,"  she  urged,  re-arranging 
the  cushions. 

"  Pug  shows  good  sense  in  choosing  this  place 
49 


50  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

for  his  naps,  Mrs.  Morley, —  quiet,  lovely  draper- 
ies and  pillows,  flowers,  palms,  and  sunshine  to 
view.  I  shall  want  to  be  lazy  too,  every  day," 
volunteered  Ruby. 

"Call  me  '  Ida,'—  both  of  you.  I  don't  like 
formality  among  intimates,  at  least  not  much  of 
it.  But  you  mustn't  expect  to  have  a  great  deal 
of  time  all  to  yourselves.  There  will  be  trips  and 
trips,  and  with  those  young  men  to  share  them 
with  you,  your  opportunities  will  be  too  good  to 
waste." 

"  Thank  you,  Ida.  I  imagine  the  men  will  like 
best  to  go  off  hunting  by  themselves,  or  fishing, 
as  the  mood  takes  them.  Women  are  considered 
something  of  a  bore  in  traveling.  Aren't  they?  " 

"  Confess  that  you  believe  they  couldn't  be  hired 
to  go  without  you,  girls,  if  they  supposed  you 
would  enjoy  going  in  their  company,  and  would 
be  willing  to  rough  it  a  little,  as  they  like  to  do ; 
and  that  it  is  no  secret  with  you,  that  a  pretty 
girl  moves  a  man  at  her  will  as  she  would  an  au- 
tomaton." 

"  Even  without  much  brains  ? "  said  Carol, 
amusively. 

"  Without  displaying  too  much,"  laughed  Mrs. 
Morley.  "  It's  proverbial  that  men  prefer  as  a 
wife  a  woman  of  unaffected  simplicity, —  unso- 
phisticated, except  in  domestic  concerns,  which  she 
is  at  liberty  to  elevate  to  the  top-notch  of  su- 
periority. I've  little  fault  to  find  as  far  as  I  am 
personally  involved;  but  in  any  case,  one  mustn't 


SIGHT-SEEING  51 

expect  to  be  perfectly  contented  and  always  happy. 
It  is  quite  too  much  for  mortals  to  hope  for.  If 
either  of  you  win  as  kind  a  husband  and  one  who 
provides  as  well  as  Charles,  you  may  be  thankful. 
He  thinks  Phil  and  his  friend  are  exceptionally 
nice  men." 

"  I  believe  they  are, —  if  one  may  trust  appear- 
ances. I  had  my  faith  somewhat  shaken  in  col- 
lege men  when  I  was  among  them, —  a  *  co-ed,' ' 
declared  Carol,  seriously.  "  Such  goings  on  as 
were  had  right  under  our  very  eyes :  the  boys  acted 
as  if  they  suspected  we  were  blind  to  their  follies. 
Our  '  frat '  houses  were  not  far  apart,  don't  you 
know,  and, —  oh,  dear !  —  I  almost  thought  that  if 
ever  I  married,  it  must  be  to  a  man  especially  made 
for  me." 

"  Perhaps  this  same  familiarity  with  the  short- 
comings of  our  brothers  has  made  some  of  us  more 
particular  and  discreet  in  our  final  choice.  But 
you  know,  dear,  we  women  have  our  failings,  also, 
and  it  will  hardly  do  for  us  to  be  stubborn  in  our 
prejudices.  And  to  be  personal,  I'm  sure  you 
won't  allow  yourself  to  be  prejudiced  against  Phil 
and  Marshall." 

"  I'm  determined  I  won't  be.  In  fact,  I  was 
hardly  thinking  of  them  at  all,  when  I  spoke  of 
marrying." 

"  I  should  suppose  not,"  said  Ruby. 

"  They  are  of  fine  old  families, —  that  means  a 
great  deal,"  suggested  Mrs.  Morley. 

"  And  quite  possibly  engaged,"  added  Ruby. 


52  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  I  think  not.  Phil  acknowledged  as  much  to 
Charles,  last  evening,  and  said  it  was  very  thought- 
ful of  us  to  plan  such  delectable  things  for  them." 

"  The  excitement  acted  as  a  tonic,  perhaps." 

"  Especially  Steve's  part,"  laughed  Carol. 

"  Poor  Steve,"  deplored  Mrs.  Morley.  "  He 
was  so  ashamed  of  that  .  .  .  Now  I'll  run  down 
and  give  some  orders,  and  if  you  girls  will  put 
on  your  street  suits,  we'll  go  for  a  drive  by  and  by. 
I  think  Charles  means  to  take  the  men  down  to  his 
place  of  business,  and  you  wouldn't  be  specially 
interested  in  farm  implements,  I  presume." 

"  Anything  you  say  will  be  all  right  for  us,  Ida, 
the  drive  would  be  fine,"  consented  Ruby. 

"  Splendid !  "  said  Carol.  "  But  I  must  write 
a  line  home,  so  I'll  go  right  down  stairs,  too." 

"  And  I,"  said  Ruby.  "  I  wish  we  might  use  a 
long-distance  telephone,  instead.  I  wonder  if  any 
one  will  write  with  a  pen  when  such  messages  be- 
come common." 

"  Oh,  yes,  *  lest  we  forget,'  "  quoted  Carol. 

The  Morley  car,  with  Steve  at  the  wheel,  started 
briskly  down  the  avenue,  about  mid-forenoon. 
Mrs.  Morley  directed  the  drive  over  several  miles 
of  beautiful  streets  in  the  Westlake  district,  in- 
cluding broad  Wilshire  Boulevard.  On  all  sides 
were  charming  homes,  a  commingling  of  wood  and 
cement,  and  of  red  and  gray  stone.  Many  were 
decorated  with  stucco  work,  others  painted  in  hues 
that  were  borrowed  of  the  flowers,  and  not  a  few 


SIGHT-SEEING  53 

were  grandly  patterned  after  English  and  Old 
Colonial  homes ;  looking  much  like  huge  snow- 
houses,  in  coats  of  glistening  white. 

Everywhere  were  enchanting  lawns  which  held 
almost  every  conceivable  flowering  shrub  and  plant, 
luxuriant  in  growth  and  marvelous  in  beauty. 
There  were  borders  of  calla  lilies,  hedges  of  gold 
and  scarlet  cannas,  orange  lantanas,  tall  red  and 
pink  and  white  geraniums,  feathery  heliotrope, 
and  magnificent  roses !  Blue  myrtle  and  nastur- 
tiums were  imbedded  at  the  feet  of  graceful  palms, 
whose  corrugated  trunks  were  wound  about  with 
ivies  and  smilax  and  asparagus  ferns.  The  sweet- 
scented  jasmine,  bougainvillea  and  other  vines, 
laden  with  myriads  of  blossoms,  climbed  over 
porches  and  walls ;  clung  to  cement  and  clapboard 
and  shingle ;  great  scarlet-leaved  poinsettias  and 
fluffy  red  bells  of  hibiscus,  tossed  at  the  tips  of 
their  slender  stems,  against  backgrounds  of  pearl 
and  canary,  dove-color,  olive  and  deep  wine. 

Trees  and  blossoming  vines  thrived  between 
pavement  and  curbing.  There  were  the  towering 
eucalyptus,  spreading  magnolia,  the  acacia, 
camphor  tree,  and  the  willowy  pepper  with  its 
drooping  sprays  of  fine,  white  flowers  and  of  blood- 
red  berries,  amid  the  dainty  green  of  tiny,  cluster- 
ing leaves. 

In  the  distance,  northward  and  westward,  were 
the  mountains :  the  ragged,  snow-capped  peaks  of 
the  Sierras,  over  the  lower  green  of  the  foothills, 
like  an  artist's  dream.  The  glow  of  dazzling  sun- 


54  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

shine  pervaded  all,  and  the  mild,  fragrant  air  was 
like  that  of  June  in  New  England. 

"  It  is  wonderland !  "  cried  Ruby,  delighted  be- 
yond measure. 

And  Carol  said :  "  One  can  easily  imagine  elves 
and  fairies  at  work  at  the  roots  of  things." 

"  We  will  drive  around  Westlake  Park,  Steve," 
said  Mrs.  Morley,  as  they  neared  the  place  on  the 
homeward  drive. 

Various  persons  were  lounging  in  the  pavilions, 
on  benches  under  the  trees,  or  idly  rowing  on  the 
lake,  where  were  hundreds  of  ducks  and  several 
large  white  swans.  The  trees  and  flowers,  the 
bright  green  of  the  well-kept  turf  along  the  path- 
ways, and  the  sunlight  filtering  through  leafy 
spaces,  made  the  place  seem  Elysian. 

Later,  on  the  same  day,  automobiles  carried  the 
whole  party, —  including  the  Denver  friends  from 
the  hotel, —  over  other  portions  of  the  city,  down 
South  Figueroa  Street  and  up  West  Adams, 
through  St.  James  Park  and  Chester  Place,  where 
were  many  more  elegant  homes,  and  a  wilderness 
of  flowers  and  waving  palms  and  playing  foun- 
tains ;  out  on  the  heights,  too,  among  palaces  and 
towers  and  pergolas  and  terraces  copied  from 
those  of  Italy,  Spain,  France,  Switzerland,  China, 
Japan,  and  India, —  in  truth  from  all  the  world, 
for  the  residents  of  the  city  are  cosmopolitan,  and 
have  sought  this  sunny  land  for  health,  or  wealth, 
or  happiness,  and,  perchance,  have  found  all  com- 
bined. 


SIGHT-SEEING  55 

Over  paved  boulevards,  the  party  rode  to  Venice, 
which  they  explored  on  foot,  agreeing  that  it  was 
another  Coney  Island.  On,  through  lovely  Santa 
Monica  by  the  placid  Pacific,  they  went  to  Beverly 
Hills,  where  stands  a  far-famed  hostelry  amid  a 
sea  of  blossoms;  then  back,  via  Hollywood, — 
nestled  among  the  hills, —  once  the  home  of  Paul 
de  Longpre,  honored  as  the  world's  most  famous 
painter  of  flowers. 

"  I  only  wish  you  might  have  seen  his  garden," 
said  Mrs.  Morley  to  her  companions  in  the  car. 
"It  was  just  beautiful  —  and  his  studio!  Too 
bad  everything  has  been  changed  and  turned  over 
to  ordinary  use.  I  think  the  people  here  should 
have  made  it  a  permanent  home  of  art." 

The  sun  had  set  and  dusk  was  drawing  on,  as 
they  rode  into  Los  Angeles. 

"  Quite  a  change  in  the  atmosphere,"  remarked 
Phil. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  host,  "  no  warm  nights  here 
to  bother  one,  even  in  summer.  Best  ever  for 
sleeping  —  and  surprises.  Any  more  on  hand, 
Phil?" 

"  Can't  tell  what  may  develop,"  answered  Phil, 
wisely.  "  One  thing  surprises  me,  right  now,  and 
that  is  your  roads.  I  had  no  idea  they  were  so 
grand." 

"  Oh,  we  aren't  so  far  behind  the  times,  if  we 
are  on  the  edge  of  the  world,"  said  Mrs.  Morley. 

Rather  oddly,  another  surprise  awaited  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Morley  as  they  were  passing  through  the 


56  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

lower  rooms,  fastening  doors  and  windows,  pre- 
paratory to  retiring  for  the  night.  A  sharp  ring 
was  heard  at  the  door-bell. 

"  Some  one  trying  to  find  a  number  in  our  vicin- 
ity, I  suppose,"  said  Mr.  Morley,  proceeding  to 
open  the  front  door. 

He  was  confronted  by  a  messenger  with  a  tele- 
gram, and  as  he  opened  the  ominous  yellow  en- 
velope, he  speculated  on  its  contents,  but  was  far 
from  guessing  the  truth.  When  spread  out  be- 
tween his  fingers,  he  lifted  his  brows,  then  lowered 
and  slightly  contracted  them. 

Dismissing  the  messenger,  he  carried  the  dis- 
patch to  Mrs.  Morley  and  informed  her  brusquely : 
"  It's  from  Aunt  Lucinda.  She's  coming." 

Mrs.  Morley  smiled  as  she  read  it  over,  and  an- 
swered :  " '  It  never  rains  but  it  pours,'  you 
know,  Charles." 

"  She'll  reign  all  right,  and  pour,  too,  if  you'll 
let  her.  There  wasn't  a  woman  in  New  England  I 
so  dreaded  to  see  when  I  was  a  boy.  Her  pe- 
riodical visits  at  our  house  turned  things  pretty 
generally  upside  down.  She  seemed  to  have  a 
grudge  against  me,  because  I  was  a  boy,  I  pre- 
sume, and  apt  to  be  a  little  careless  about  things. 
If  she  saw  me  idle  about  the  house  for  a  few  min- 
utes, she  would  say  to  mother :  '  Sary,  ain't  yeou 
got  suthin'  for  that  boy  to  dew?  If  he  was  mine, 
I'd  set  him  to  sproutin'  potaters,  or  shellin'  beans, 
and  if  I  hadn't  any  o'  them  on  hand, —  why  he 
could  be  pilin'  up  stuns.'  She  believed  in  early 


SIGHT-SEEING  57 

marriages  to  keep  young  people  busy  with  some- 
thing besides  foolishness,  and  she  picked  out  a  wife 
for  me  before  I  was  twenty, —  a  sallow-faced  girl 
who,  so  she  said,  had  never  been  to  theater  nor  a 
dance  in  her  life,  and  who  was  always  at  prayer- 
meeting,  storm  or  shine.  I  told  her  I  knew  there 
must  be  something  out  of  whack  with  a  girl  that 
had  such  a  complexion.  She  must  be  either  a 
hypocrite  or  an  ignoramus." 

"How  dare  you?"  laughed  Mrs.  Morley. 
"  But  your  aunt  wasn't  much  better  pleased  with 
your  choice  than  you  were  with  hers,  if  reports  are 
true.  We  will  make  her  welcome,  though,  and  per- 
haps she  may  change  her  mind." 

"  When  did  she  ever  say  anything  against  you, 
Ida?  " 

"  Oh,  at  our  wedding.  She  remarked  that 
Charles's  wife  carried  her  head  like  a  woman  she 
knew  in  Coventry,  and  she  guessed  Charles  would 
find  she'd  pull  pretty  strong  on  the  bit." 

"  Ha,  ha !  She  struck  it  right  that  time ;  but 
I'm  not  sorry  you're  that  sort,  wifey.  And,  say, 
I've  a  plan  for  to-morrow.  We  are  all  going 
somewhere ;  if  Aunt  Lucinda  arrives  of  course  she 
will  need  rest." 

"  Perhaps  she  will  wish  to  go  somewhere  with 
us." 

"We'll  tell  her  it  wouldn't  be  prudent.  She 
might  get  overdone." 

"  Why,  Charles, —  you're  —  really,  you  don't 
mean  to  be  inhospitable  ?  " 


58  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Not  a  bit.  The  house  shall  be  at  her  disposal 
while  we  are  away." 

"  Just  leave  her  to  me,  dear.  I'll  manage  some- 
way." 

"  Put  her  up  in  the  attic  with  the  cook,  make  a 
bed  on  the  roof,  give  her  our  room  and  we  go  to 
the  neighbors,  or  what  ?  —  And  you'll  warn  the 
maids  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I'll  tell  them  she's  coming,  of  course. 
But  what  would  she  have  said  to  the  doings  last 
evening?  Seriously,  though,  I'll  send  Mattie  home 
to  sleep  for  a  few  nights.  Her  people  live  on  a 
car  line  and  she  won't  mind  going.  Then  I  can 
arrange  her  room  for  your  aunt.  I'm  glad  it's 
such  a  pretty  room, —  new  blue  paper,  you  know, 
and  the  daintiest,  dotted  Swiss  curtains,  bedcover 
and  stand  drapes,  and  a  new  blue  rug  to  match  the 
walls." 

"  Here's  to  luck !  "  said  Mr.  Morley,  pouring  a 
glass  of  water  from  a  silver  tankard  and  passing  it 
on  to  his  wife.  "  But,  Ida,  I'll  bet  she'll  quit  us 
as  she  comes,  the  same  woman  I  knew  in  New  Eng- 
land when  I  wore  top-boots  and  overalls.  She  has 
made  it  her  boast  that  nothing  short  of  solemn  duty 
could  induce  her  to  change  her  style  of  dress,  her 
language,  or  her  religion.  '  Remove  not  the  old 
landmarks  '  was  a  favorite  adage,  and  her  land- 
marks were  all  laid  among  the  rocks  and  huckle- 
berry bushes  where  she  was  born.  She  is  provin- 
cial to  the  last  degree !  " 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  ARRIVAL  OF  AUNT  LUCINDA 

"  I  do  hope  Mr.  Morley's  aunt  likes  young  peo- 
ple," said  Ruby,  as  she  settled  herself  comfortably 
in  the  roof  garden  with  a  copy  of  colored  illustra- 
tions of  buildings  and  grounds  at  the  Panama- 
Pacific  International  Exposition. 

"  She  probably  does,  or  she  wouldn't  be  coming 
to  visit  the  Morleys,"  answered  Carol.  "  But  we 
shall  not  long  be  left  in  doubt,  if  the  train  is  on 
time." 

"  No,  and  instead  of  speculating  on  the  lady's 
likes  and  dislikes,  you  would  advise  studying  up  the 
exposition  scenes,  wouldn't  you?  Here,  I'll  be 
generous  and  let  you  look  over.  They  say  it's 
simply  magnificent!  I  hope  we  can  stay  long 
enough  to  make  it  worth  while." 

For  a  few  moments  the  booklet  proved  absorb- 
ing, then  Carol's  eyes  caught  a  cartoon  on  a  maga- 
zine page  spread  out  at  her  feet  which  represented 
"  Uncle  Sam  "  as  patting  a  favorite  son  on  the 
back  for  one  of  his  creditable  performances. 

"  Don't  you  sometimes  wish  you  were  a  '  favor- 
ite son,'  Carol?  "  Ruby  asked  abruptly,  following 
Carol's  gaze. 

"  No,"  said  Carol,  looking  up  quickly.  "  Think 
of  the  pretty  clothes  we  may  wear,  for  instance. 

59 


60  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Would  you  exchange  your  lovely  party  gowns  for 
a  suit  of  conventional  black  and  stiff  linen  accom- 
paniments such  as  men  wear?  " 

"  But  do  acknowledge  that  most  men  have  more 
freedom  than  we,"  replied  Ruby,  amusively. 

"  A  man  may  propose  marriage,  which  is  an  act 
denied  to  us;  but  we  have  the  right  to  reject  his 
offer,  which  is  by  far  the  greater  privilege,"  sub- 
mitted Carol. 

To  which  Ruby  responded :  "  A  shrewd  man 
wouldn't  propose  marriage,  unless  he  were  reason- 
ably sure  of  acceptance,  I  should  think." 

"  Oh,  but  they  do  —  sometimes.  Girls  will 
draw  a  man  on,"  and  with  half  hidden  mischief 
lurking  about  lips  and  eyes,  Carol  explained: 
"  I'm  not  meaning  to  be  personal,  my  dear,  and  I'll 
confess  it  is  difficult  to  comprehend  — " 

Involuntarily  she  stopped,  as  her  ears  caught 
the  sound  of  footsteps  on  the  stairs, —  heavy  foot- 
steps they  were,  and  from  more  than  one  pair  of 
feet. 

"  What  is  it  that  is  so  almost  impossible  of  com- 
prehension ?  "  asked  Phil,  directly,  peering  over 
the  railing  at  the  top. 

'  When  from  the  earth  the  animals 
Went  off  the  boat  in  pairs, 
Who  was  it  that  first  heard  the  sound 
Of  boots  upon  the  stairs  ?  '  ' 

quoted  Carol,  recovering  herself. 

"  I'll  give  it  up,"  he  said  after  a  little  reflection. 


ARRIVAL  OF  AUNT  LUCINDA        61 

"  I've  never  been  able  to  guess,  myself,"  she  told 
him.  "  But  I  wish  I  could, —  I  might  win  fifty 
pounds,  so  the  author  said.  Maybe  he's  dead  by 
this  time.  It  was  a  good  while  ago." 

"  That's  the  usual  luck.  But  who  would  have 
thought  you  girls  would  have  been  sitting  here 
propounding  such  conundrums  to  each  other?  "  he 
continued,  winking  at  Marshall. 

"  How  long  were  you  standing  on  the  stairway, 
just  out  of  sight?  " 

"  Oh,  we  came  right  up." 

"  Sure?  "  she  queried,  while  Ruby  generously 
offered  seats,  and  presented  the  real  question  un- 
der discussion :  "  Which  sex  has  the  more  privi- 
leges?" 

Phil,  replying,  declared :  "  I  can  answer  that 
immediately.  A  woman  has  all  the  privileges  when 
she  is  around ;  a  man's  come  in  when  she  is  ab- 
sent; but  as  that  seldom  happens,  the  woman  has 
the  '  lion's  share.'  " 

"  I  think  that  could  hardly  be  called  an  impar- 
tial statement,  Mr.  Tracy,"  replied  Carol. 
"  Men  may  vote  in  all  our  states,  while  women 
have  equal  political  rights  but  in  part." 

"  True.  But  isn't  that  because  most  women 
incline  to  domestic  rather  than  political  privi- 
leges ?  "  he  continued.  "  Now  I  honestly  believe, 
when  women  lack  rights  and  really  want  them, 
they  find  a  way  to  get  them,  just  as  men  do." 

"  Men  would  use  combustibles  to  win,  and 
women  tractables,  I  suppose,"  interpolated  Ruby. 


62  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Acknowledge  you  couldn't  do  much  with  tract- 
ables, —  which  I  take  you  to  mean  is  moral  sua- 
sion,—  if  guns  didn't  pave  the  way,"  said  Mar- 
shall, who  had  remained  standing. 

"  First  destruction,  then  construction,"  ob- 
served Carol. 

"  Well  —  yes  ;  but  only  because  the  destructive 
method  is  also  the  constructive,  as  for  instance  in 
our  war  with  Spain.  It  destroyed  much  property 
and  some  lives ;  but  it  conserved  the  best  interests 
of  Cuba." 

"  That  was  the  idea  of  some  of  our  English  sis- 
ters, to  be  sure.  And  wasn't  it  lovely  of  them  to 
drop  all  their  plans  for  women's  rights  and  work 
so  loyally  for  the  English  men  as  soon  as  they 
began  to  fight  ?  " 

"  Wonderful,  equal  to  the  '  short  cut '  to  '  Tip- 
perary  ' !  "  said  Marshall ;  and  Phil,  shaking  his 
head  solemnly,  added :  "  Mrs.  Pankhurst  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  militant  suffragists  over  there  will 
certainly  deserve  to  share  the  pie  half  and  half 
—  if  there  is  any  left  when  the  war  is  over,"  and, 
smiling  at  Carol,  he  admitted :  "  I  really  think 
they  will  be  entitled  to  about  two-thirds.  They 
are  not  only  brave,  but  they  have  shown  themselves 
to  be  unselfish  and  generous  in  the  extreme ;  be- 
sides, their  faith  in  their  men  should  command  re- 
spect in  return." 

"  Good  for  you ! "  exclaimed  Carol,  and  as  his 
eyes  roved  over  the  garden :  "  Isn't  it  pretty  fine 
up  here  ?  " 


ARRIVAL  OF  AUNT  LUCINDA        63 

"  I  should  say  it  is.  I  wouldn't  mind  spending 
the  forenoon,  if  we  might;  but  we  came  up  to  de- 
liver a  message.  Charles  has  planned  a  picnic  at 
Eastlake  Park,  and  Ida  has  consented  to  go  and 
take  lunch  along,  if  you  girls  say  so." 

"  Oh,  we  do,"  they  agreed. 

"  I  wonder  if  I  may  have  a  flower,"  said  Mar- 
shall, walking  toward  the  railing. 

"  There's  no  one  to  say  you  *  nay,'  "  answered 
Carol,  and  obligingly  she  broke  off  a  spray  of  pink 
ivy  geranium  and  fastened  it  to  a  revers  of  his 
coat,  then  stepping  back,  she  complimented: 
"  That  is  quite  smart." 

"  The  flower,  or  its  effect  on  the  coat?  "  he  ques- 
tioned. 

"  Both,"  and  turning  quickly,  she  saw  Ruby 
gathering  violets. 

"  Those  go  beautifully  with  auburn  hair,"  she 
suggested. 

"  No  reflections  cast  on  auburn  hair,  I  hope, 
Miss  Wilton,"  said  Phil,  deprecatingly. 

"  By  no  means.  I  think  auburn  hair  is  glori- 
ous !  I  have  often  wished  my  own  were  that 
color,"  she  responded. 

"  Do  —  you  —  hear  —  that,  Phil?  "  asked  Mar- 
shall. 

"  Guess  I  do.  You'll  have  to  dye  yours,  now, 
Bert,  sure." 

"  Oh,  his  is  all  right.  He  wouldn't  look  well 
with  auburn  hair,"  said  Ruby,  presenting  the  vio- 
lets to  Phil  and  smiling  upon  Marshall  with  her 


64  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

brown  eyes,  which  if  less  bewildering  than  a  cer- 
tain pair  of  blue  ones,  closer  by,  were  honest  in 
their  expression,  and  Marshall  thought  Miss  Guild 
improved  by  acquaintance. 

The  four  were  grouped  about  the  piano  in  the 
living  room  when  Mr.  Morley  came  with  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda,  who  was,  in  reality,  a  sister  of  his  paternal 
grandfather.  They  were  apprised  of  her  pres- 
ence by  Mr.  Morley,  and  turned  to  meet  a  tall, 
thin-visaged  woman,  evidently  not  far  from  four- 
score years  of  age,  yet  betraying  the  energy  of 
one  much  younger.  Her  gray  hair  was  still  abun- 
dant, and  worn  in  the  old-fashioned  corkscrew 
curls  at  the  side,  and  a  tightly  wound  knot  at  the 
back,  beneath  her  black  bonnet.  Her  eyes  were 
dark  and  keen.  She  was  gowned  in  a  dull  black 
alpaca,  without  trimming,  and  she  carried  a  black 
alpaca  bag,  a  black-handled  umbrella,  and  a  shoe- 
box,  carefully  tied  with  white  tape.  Mr.  Morley 
was  burdened  with  a  heavy  gray  camel's-hair  shawl 
and  an  antique  satchel. 

"  I'd  no  idee  yeou  had  sech  a  family,  Charles," 
she  exclaimed,  as  the  gentleman  disposed  of  the 
baggage,  piece  by  piece,  on  the  floor  and  table. 
"  I  s'posed  yeou  and  Ida  wuz  all  alone,  and  I  had 
sech  a  good  chance  tew  come  eout,  along  with  the 
Seldens.  Miss  Selden's  mother  wuz  a  second  or 
third  cousin, —  I  d'n'no'  jest  which, —  tew  yeour 
grandfather,  on  yeour  mother's  side.  She  wants 
tew  call  on  yeou  afore  she  goes  back  East.  They 
stopped  off  at  Phoenix,  in  Arizony,  a  spell." 


ARRIVAL  OF  AUNT  LUCINDA        65 

"  Ah,  ha  ?  "  assented  the  host. 

"  It's  a  great  deal  like  comin'  tew  '  Kingdom 
Come '  tew  ride  'way  eout  here.  I'm  pretty  good 
at  gettin'  'reound  Coventry  and  Bolton  Notch; 
but  I'd  never  'a'  ventured  eout  here  by  myself, 
though  I've  heerd  so  much  abeout  Californy,  I've 
wanted  to  see  it  this  good  while." 

"  It's  well  worth  coming  to  see,  Aunt  Lucinda," 
declared  Mr.  Morley,  "  and  Phil,  here,  has  just 
come  from  Boston  to  see  it,  too.  He's  Uncle 
Eben's  boy,  you  remember." 

"  Yeou  don't  say?  I  knew  Eben  when  he  wuz 
fust  married  and  a  livin'  on  his  farm.  He's  made 
a  fortune  by  it,  sence,  I've  b'en  told,  a  sellin'  it  off 
fer  city  lots." 

Phil  smiled  good-naturedly. 

"  I  guess  mebbe  yeou'll  help  spend  it,"  she  went 
on,  addressing  him. 

"  I'm  going  to  try  to  make  a  fortune  for  my- 
self," he  answered. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  so.  That's  the  way  most  young 
men  talk.  But  they  gen'ally  find  it  handy  tew 
have  a  rich  father  tew  fall  back  on."  Surveying 
the  apartment,  she  said  to  Mr.  Morley :  "  Yeou've 
picked  up  consid'able,  Charles.  I  guess  you  ain't 
had  much  help  from  your  father.  Henry  wuz 
never  very  good  at  managin'.  Sary  had  most  o' 
that  tew  do.  If  Henry  wuz  my  nephew, —  my  own 
brother's  son, —  I'll  say  that  fer  Sary.  She  had 
the  Tracy  head  fer  managin'." 


66  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Again  Phil  smiled.  "  Aunt  Sarah  is  a  '  jewel  of 
the  first  water,'  "  he  agreed. 

"  Sit  down,  Aunt  Lucinda,  and  I'll  call  Ida," 
said  Mr.  Morley.  "  She'll  show  you  where  to  lay 
your  bonnet  and  things." 

"  I  s'pect  I'd  better  go  with  yeou  tew  find  Ida. 
She's  prob'ly  in  the  kitchen,  ain't  she,  think?  It 
must  take  her  pretty  much  all  the  time  tew  look 
after  this  heouse  and  all  the  fancy  fixin's,  tew  say 
nothin'  abeout  the  cookin'." 

"  Oh,  she  has  help,  two  maids,  aunt.  I  go  on 
the  principle  that  a  man  who  can  afford  to  hire 
help  in  his  place  of  business  should  be  able  to  hire 
help  for  his  wife  about  hers." 

"  That's  sensible,  neow.  I  kinder  thought  she'd 
have  a  hired  woman,  or  I  don't  know  as  I'd  durst 
come  to  see  yeou."  As  she  spoke,  Aunt  Lucinda 
made  an  effort  to  draw  her  handkerchief  from  her 
alpaca  bag;  but  the  strings  had  become  entangled. 
Carol  quickly  sprang  to  her  side  and,  kneeling  on 
the  floor  beside  her,  soon  untied  the  knotted  rib- 
bons. 

"  Don't  you  think  Mr.  Morley's  house  is 
lovely  ?  "  she  asked,  as  Aunt  Lucinda  muttered  her 
thanks. 

"  I  don'  know  as  I'm  any  jedge.  I  never  did  go 
much  on  statews  and  ile  paintin's  an'  carved  fur- 
nitewer.  You  see  I  wuz  brought  up  plain.  I  wuz 
thinkin'  jest  neow  what  a  lot  of  Bibles  an'  spellin' 
books  an'  decent  clothes  the  money  it  cost  would 
buy  for  the  heathens  over  in  Chiny  and  Indy  and 


ARRIVAL  OF  AUNT  LUCINDA        67 

the  Philippines.  But  that's  jest  my  way  o'  lookin' 
at  things,  and  I  ain't  sayin'  I'm  always  right." 
And  Aunt  Lucinda  gave  the  girl  a  smile  meant  to 
be  pacific,  as  she  turned  to  follow  Mr.  Morley. 

Mrs.  Morley  was  actually  in  the  kitchen,  pre- 
paring the  picnic  luncheon.  After  greeting  the 
visitor  cordially,  she  invited  her  to  join  the  party 
going  to  Eastlake.  "  Though  if  you  are  tired, 
Aunt  Lucinda,  you're  quite  welcome  to  stay  here 
and  rest,"  she  suggested.  "  I'll  go  up-stairs  with 
you  right  away  and  show  you  where  you  are  to 
sleep,  and  Charles  will  take  up  your  things." 

"  I'm  some  tired,  I  confess,  and  I  guess  I'll  clean 
up  a  little  and  lie  deown  awhile  if  you're  willin'. 
I  don't  want  tew  upset  none  o'  yeour  plans." 

Mrs.  Morley  was  gracious,  and  when  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda, whose  surname  was  Dobbins,  had  seen  the 
pretty  blue  room  and  had  been  offered  a  handsome 
blue  silk  kimono  in  which  she  might  rest  at  her  ease 
until  her  trunk  arrived,  she  began  to  think  that  if 
Charles's  wife  were  "  sot  in  her  way,"  there  might 
be  a  worse  way  after  all. 

"  It  will  seem  kinder  good  tew  get  off  this  old 
alapaccy  dress  I've  wore  pretty  nigh  onto  a  week. 
It's  a  dreadful  long  way  across  Ameriky !  "  she 
said. 

"  Indeed,  it  is !  "  affirmed  Mrs.  Morley,  laying  a 
fresh  magazine  on  the  little  stand  by  the  window. 
*'  Perhaps  you  will  want  to  read  by  and  by ;  and 
I'll  have  Mattie  bring  you  up  a  nice  lunch,  if  you 
don't  care  to  go  down  to  the  dining  room.  We 


68  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

want  to  make  it  as  pleasant  as  we  can  for  these 
young  people,  you  know,  so  we  are  taking  them 
out;  but  we  shan't  stay  late,  and  I  hope  you'll  be 
quite  comfortable  while  we  are  away." 

"  I'll  get  along  all  right ;  but  I  wouldn't  mind 
havin'  a  '  Missionary  Herald  '  tew  look  over,  if 
yeou  have  one.  I  come  away  afore  the  last  copy 
wuz  eout." 

"  Yes,  I  have  one.  I'll  bring  it  in,"  answered 
Mrs.  Morley,  congratulating  herself  on  a  recent 
subscription  for  the  monthly,  given  to  a  neighbor 
interested  in  missionary  work. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  PICNIC  AT  EASTLAKE  PARK 

The  trip  to  Eastlake  Park  was  not  through  the 
most  attractive  portions  of  the  city,  from  an  aes- 
thetic point  of  view;  but  gave  one  an  idea  of  its 
resources  and  of  its  remarkable  growth.  There 
were  large  factories,  many  lines  of  railroad,  whole- 
sale and  retail  houses  and  a  few  battered  adobe 
buildings,  which  must  have  witnessed  the  primitive 
glory  of  Spanish  priest  and  soldier,  and  of  the 
early  days  of  conquest,  when  Fremont,  "  The 
Pathfinder,"  raised  under  near-by  hills  his  coun- 
try's far-famed  banner  of  stars  and  stripes. 

Arriving  at  the  park,  laden  with  bundles,  bas- 
kets, and  wraps,  they  alighted  from  the  Morley 
car  and  crossed  to  the  central  gateway. 

"  Why,  there  is  Patsy  !  "  cried  Ruby. 

"  And  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Merriman  and  —  every- 
body," finished  Carol. 

"  Now,  who  are  surprised,  I  wonder?  "  asked 
Mr.  Morley. 

"  I  think  you  have  the  game  on  us,  Charles," 
Phil  replied. 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  bridge  over 

the  park  lake,  and  just  beyond,  on  a  grassy  plot 

69 


70  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

shaded  by  tall  trees,  met  their  acquaintances. 
Among  them  was  a  young  stranger  whom  Mrs. 
Merriman  introduced  as  Miss  Tolmy,  of  Virginia. 

"  Wasn't  it  odd,"  she  remarked  subsequently 
to  Ruby  and  Carol,  "  that  she  should  happen  along 
just  as  we  did,  and  locate  at  the  same  hotel?  I 
knew  her  mother  when  I  was  a  girl.  We  went  to 
a  school  in  Baltimore  together.  Mrs.  Tolmy  is  a 
widow  and  wealthy,  and  is  traveling  with  her 
daughter  and  maid.  She  felt  too  tired  to  come 
with  us  to-day." 

"  It  was  odd, —  their  coming  while  you  are  here ; 
but  we  have  had  a  similar  experience  at  the  Mor- 
leys'.  Mr.  Morley's  great  aunt,  whom  he  hadn't 
seen  for  years  and  years,  came  way  from  Connecti- 
cut, just  before  we  started  over  here.  She  is  so 
quaint, —  like  a  picture  from  Revolutionary  his- 
tory. We  expect  to  find  her  extremely  interest- 
ing,—  Ruby  and  I." 

"  I  want  you  girls  to  call  on  the  Tolmys.  They 
are  worth  cultivating,"  said  Mrs.  Merriman. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Nicholson  was  exerting  himself 
to  be  agreeable  to  the  stranger,  as  Ruby  particu- 
larly noticed. 

The  company  went  first  to  the  greenhouses  filled 
with  a  choice  collection  of  rare  plants  from  many 
climes ;  then,  to  view  the  animals  varying  in  size 
from  a  small  monkey  to  a  large  bear.  They 
watched  a  pair  of  huge  bears  in  a  paw-to-paw  tus- 
sle, fed  the  monkeys,  admired  the  wild-cats,  the 
Angora  goats,  the  sleepy  owls  and  the  birds  of 


THE  PICNIC  71 

paradise;  and  like  schoolgirls  and  boys,  set  free 
from  their  tasks,  the  younger  ones  of  the  party 
patronized  the  merry-go-rounds  and  swung  in  the 
hammock  chairs. 

At  length  appetites  began  to  be  in  evidence  and 
the  ladies  proceeded  to  spread  a  most  palatable 
lunch  on  a  white  cloth,  over  a  stationary  table; 
while  the  gentlemen  made  themselves  useful  in  open- 
ing cans  and  carrying  water,  coffee,  and  lemonade 
from  a  cafe  across  the  way. 

Carol  found  a  seat  at  table  next  Miss  Tolmy. 
She  was  anxious  to  learn  of  the  girl's  capabilities. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  young  lady  sat  Mr.  Nich- 
olson, still  attentive.  Ruby  had  Dr.  Merriman  at 
her  right,  and  Marshall,  who  had  been  lending 
his  aid  in  filling  various  drinking  glasses  with  dis- 
tilled water,  sat  at  her  left.  Phil  asked  Carol's 
permission  to  take  a  vacant  seat  beside  her. 

All  ate  and  talked  and  laughed  and  ate  again, 
until  Dr.  Merriman  declared  that  he  should  need 
to  write  out  a  wholesale  prescription  to  prevent 
the  nightmare.  Even  the  dyspeptic  patient,  Mr. 
Winthrop,  had  forgotten  his  ills,  and  was,  accord- 
ing to  Miss  Winthrop's  judgment,  eating  quite 
indiscriminately. 

Carol  had  made  Phil  welcome  and  now  turned  to 
Miss  Tolmy,  who  was  tall  and  very  blond, —  even 
fairer  than  Carol.  Her  eyes  were  light  blue,  and 
her  features  reminded  one  of  an  old  miniature  — 
regular  and  beautiful,  expressing  evenness  of  tem- 
perament, a  placid,  easy-going  nature. 


72  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  You  are  from  Virginia,  Miss  Tolmy,  Mrs. 
Merriman  told  me,"  said  Carol.  "  I  have  often 
wanted  to  visit  some  of  the  old  battlegrounds 
there.  The  nearest  I  have  been  to  them  was  at 
Annapolis.  I  was  there  with  mama  when  the 
Prince  of  Battenburg  was  over." 

"  Oh,  were  you?  I  was  there  then  too  with  my 
aunt,  who  was  the  wife  of  a  lieutenant.  Of  course 
I  was  quite  small,  but  auntie  allowed  me  to  go  with 
my  cousin,  who  was  in  the  naval  academy,  to  see 
some  of  the  grand  sights.  I  remember  thinking  it 
lovely, —  so  many  sailors  and  fine  officers  in  uni- 
forms and  big  ships  and  parties  for  both  sexes. 
Auntie  permitted  me  to  dance  a  little, —  not  nearly 
so  much  as  I  would  have  liked.  My  cousin  is  an 
officer  on  one  of  our  battleships  now." 

"  That  is  fine.  Don't  you  wish  we  might  see 
them  all  in  the  harbor  here  as  they  were  a  few 
years  ago?  There's  nothing  quite  equal  to  a 
party  on  shipboard.  And  the  big  guns !  Didn't 
you  love  to  hear  them  boom  ?  " 

"  Not  —  so  —  very  —  well.  They  make  me  a 
bit  nervous." 

"  Were  any  of  your  relatives  in  the  civil  war  of 
the  sixties  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  grandfather  and  a  great  uncle. 
They  were  Union  men,"  she  urged,  evidently  fear- 
ing a  collision  unless  the  patriotism  of  the  family 
were  exposed. 

"  Weren't  your  ancestors  greatly  annoyed  by 
having  soldiers  all  about,  Union  and  Confederate? 


THE  PICNIC  73 

And  didn't  they  pry  into  your  grandfather's  do- 
mains ?  " 

"  Yes !  Grandma  has  told  me  that  she  spent 
many  a  night  in  fear  of  them.  For  awhile  she  had 
only  one  old  manservant  for  protection.  Raiders 
carried  off  hams,  and  cider,  and  fowls,  and  one 
night  a  fine  horse  and  a  saddle  were  stolen.  You 
could  hardly  believe  it,  but  after  the  war  it  was 
returned,  secretly,  with  a  note,  saying  the  horse 
had  been  killed  and  they  were  sorry.  It  was  just 
signed  '  Yours  truly,  with  thanks.' ' 

"  Wouldn't  you  give  a  hundred  dollars  to  know 
who  sent  it,  and  another  hundred  for  a  diary  re- 
lating his  experiences  while  the  horse  and  saddle 
were  in  his  possession?  " 

"  I  believe  grandpa  would.  But  I, —  I  don't 
know  that  it  makes  much  difference  to  me. 
Grandpa  has  willed  the  saddle  to  my  boy  cousin 
in  the  navy." 

"  Ha,  ha,"  laughed  Carol.  "  I  can  imagine  him 
ripping  it  up  to  find  anything  that  may  have  been 
tucked  away  in  the  lining.  Wouldn't  it  be  great 
to  find  some  very  important  message,  which  might 
have  changed  the  whole  order  of  things  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,  if  it  didn't  stir  up  more  trouble.  I 
don't  like  to  think  of  it." 

"  Miss  Tolmy  doesn't  believe  in  war,"  vouched 
Mr.  Nicholson,  overhearing. 

"  Nor  I, —  when  it  can  be  avoided,"  said  Carol. 
"  But  I  da  love  action  !  " 

"Possibly  you  would  enjoy  participating  in  a 


74  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

labor  strike,"  said  Phil,  amused,  and  really  desir- 
ous of  getting  an  opinion. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Tracy,  do  you  know  one  might  as  well 
wave  a  flag  of  treason  in  the  face  of  some  Colorado 
voters  as  to  say  '  Labor  Strike  '  ?  They  are  get- 
ting what  someone  has  called  *  dead  tired  '  of  them. 
But  of  course  dropping  a  proposition  isn't  the  way 
to  solve  it,  and  I  wouldn't  mind  being  a  labor 
leader,  if  I  might  be  trusted." 

"  Provided  you  were  elected,  what  would  be  your 
first  move?  " 

"  I  would  find  some  other  job,  requiring  labor." 

"  Then  you  think  being  a  labor  leader  doesn't 
mean  work?  " 

"  Some  work  in  that  capacity,  and  some  work 
others  pretty  strenuously.  But  I  would  go  to 
work  in  the  mines,  or  in  the  shop,  or  the  office,  and 
set  an  example  to  men  under  me,  by  doing  the  best 
I  could  for  my  employer, —  getting  to  work 
promptly,  not  paying  much  attention  to  leaving 
precisely  on  the  minute  of  closing  hour,  thinking 
up  methods  and  plans  for  my  employer's  benefit, 
using  my  head,  hands,  and  heart,  and  then,  when 
we  met  together  as  laborers,  I  should  feel  that 
whatever  theories  I  might  have  to  offer  had  been 
put  into  practice,  as  far  as  I  myself  were  con- 
cerned. I  should  be  able  with  a  clear  conscience 
to  advocate  the  Golden  Rule,  day  in  and  day  out. 
I  would  seek  opportunity  to  consult  with  capital- 
ists and  as  many  employers  as  possible,  about 
adopting  the  same  rule  in  their  business  dealings, 


THE  PICNIC  75 

for  their  own  best  interests  as  well  as  for  the  good 
of  those  in  their  employ.  It  is  scientific, —  the 
only  scientific  method!  Don't  you  believe  it,  Mr. 
Tracy  ?  "  Carol's  eyes  were  shining  and  a  flush 
in  her  cheeks  betrayed  her  seriousness. 

"  But  this  is  a  picnic, —  I  almost  forgot.  Pic- 
nickers are  supposed  to  be  out  for  recreation, 
aren't  they?  Perhaps  bread  and  jam  should  be 
eaten  with  lighter  conversation,"  she  said. 

"  The  Golden  Rule  ought  to  go  well  with  any- 
thing, anywhere,"  acknowledged  Phil,  loyally.  "  I 
agree  with  you,  perfectly;  but  men  generally  are 
not  ready  for  its  application.  They  have,  evi- 
dently, more  faith  in  submarines  and  bombs  than 
in  each  other." 

"  Better  times  are  on  the  way,  I  am  sure.  I'm 
going  to  hope  so,  anyway,  as  hard  as  ever  I  can," 
she  concluded.  Looking  across  the  table,  she 
caught  a  glance  from  Marshall.  Dimpling  and 
lifting  her  glass,  she  said :  "  What  could  be 
nicer?  "  He  was  eating  a  cherry  ice.  So  was 
she. 

"Was  that  remark  addressed  to  me?"  asked 
Phil,  not  observing  the  motion. 

"  To  no  one  in  particular,  unless  it  may  have 
been  to  myself,"  she  replied,  mischievously. 

"  Are  you  in  the  habit  of  talking  to  yourself?  " 

"Certainly.     Why  not?" 

"  Mentally,  I  suppose.     We  all  do  that." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Tracy,  haven't  you  heard  that  I  just 
dote  on  oral  conversation  with  Carol  Wilton, — 


76  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

that  Carol  and  I  are  regular  gossips  and  confi- 
dantes?" 

"  Spare  me !     I  hadn't  meant  to  infer  so  much." 

"  Ha,  ha !  I  couldn't  have  blamed  you.  I 
surely  gave  you  reason.  But  isn't  this  a  delicious 
ice?  " 

"  It  is  so.  And  I  am  to  believe  that  is  what  you 
defined  as  so  extremely  nice  a  moment  ago." 

"  Yes.  And  in  your  travels  abroad,  did  you 
find  a  lovelier  place  for  a  picnic  than  Eastlake 
Park,  Los  Angeles  ?  " 

"  Not  for  a  place  of  its  size, —  nor  better  com- 
pany than  we  have  to-day." 

"  Of  course  not.  America  affords  the  best  the 
world  affords." 

"  And  her  choicest  product  is  the  American 
Girl." 

"  Thank  you  for  my  share  of  the  compliment, 
but  isn't  that  unjust  to  the  American  Boy?  " 

"  I  think  not.  He  is  made  of  coarser  material, 
and  takes  to  stony  ground  and  the  Broad  Way 
like  a  gambler  to  a  race  course.  If  it  were  not 
for  the  nice  girls  to  hold  him  in  check,  he  would 
more  than  likely  go  his  pace  to  the  lower  end  of 
the  route." 

"  You  differ  from  most  men  in  not  attributing 
his  failings  to  Eve." 

"  Where's  the  use  ?  She  has  something  to  an- 
swer for,  quite  possibly ;  but  a  typical  boy  takes 
the  wrong  way  chiefly  because  of  his  curiosity  to 
see  where  he  will  bring  up,  and  partly  owing  to  his 


THE  PICNIC  77 

obstinacy.  By  the  way,  have  you  heard  of  the 
Oxford  professor  who  claims  to  have  translated  a 
tablet  antedating  the  Book  of  Genesis,  and  attrib- 
uting the  disobedience  of  the  race  to  Noah  ?  " 

"  No,  tell  me  about  it,  please." 

"  According  to  his  translation,  men  were  sup- 
posed to  have  been  created  to  appease  a  desire  of 
the  gods  for  worship.  Proving  indifferent  wor- 
shippers, they  were  condemned  to  extinction  by 
flood.  A  goddess  managed  to  save  Noah,  the 
king,  and  a  few  of  his  pious  companions.  After 
the  flood  he  became  a  gardener,  and  was  permitted 
to  eat  of  every  tree  of  the  garden,  except  the  Cas- 
sia. He  rebelled,  and  inaugurated  disease  and 
early  deaths  in  consequence." 

"  That  sounds  mythical." 

"  So  it  does.  I'd  rather  take  the  Genesis  ver- 
sion, not  that  I  care  especially  about  exonerating 
Noah,  but  owing  to  the  reason  ascribed  for  the 
creation  of  man." 

*'  I  agree  with  you !  But  to  return.  Were  you 
a  typical  boy?  " 

"  Guess  I  was.  Anyhow,  I  got  the  chastise- 
ments supposed  to  be  applicable  to  one." 

"Did  they  benefit  you?" 

"  I  didn't  think  so  at  the  time,  though  they 
made  me  more  cautious  about  being  found  out,  and 
they  seemed  to  increase  my  obstinacy." 

"  Are  you  then  so  dreadfully  obstinate?  "  was  a 
smiling  query. 

Phil  nodded  with  sly  determination. 


78  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Won't  some  one  have  more  ice?  Mr.  Mar- 
shall, Dr.  Merriman?  Let  me  help  you  to  some 
more,"  begged  Mrs.  Morley. 

"  Shall  I  pass  our  glasses  ? "  asked  Phil  of 
Carol. 

"  Do,  please.  And  Miss  Tolmy's  is  empty, 
too."  As  she  spoke,  Mr.  Nicholson  sprang  over 
their  board  seat  and  bore  it  away  with  his  own. 

"  Well,  well,"  sighed  Dr.  Merriman,  "  it  looks 
as  if  we  were  eating  to  live  instead  of  living  to  eat ; 
but  I  certainly  think  that  is  the  best  cherry  ice  I 
ever  tasted."  Passing  his  sherbet  cup,  "  Just  a 
little  more,  Mrs.  Morley,"  he  said,  "  a  mere  tri- 
fle." 

"  I  think  it  is  even  better  than  pineapple  ice, 
don't  you  ?  "  asked  Miss  Tolmy  of  Carol,  as  Mr; 
Nicholson  returned,  bearing  beside  the  cups  a 
tray  of  small  cakes,  which  he  scattered  along  the 
cloth  in  a  sinuous  line  from  his  own  plate  past 
Phil's. 

"  You're  a  treasure,  Mr.  Nicholson,"  said 
Carol,  helping  herself. 

"  Isn't  he  kind?  "  acceded  Miss  Tolmy,  where- 
upon Phil,  snatching  a  small  branch  of  eucalyptus 
which  lay  just  behind  on  the  ground,  began  shoo- 
ing imaginary  flies  from  Mr.  Nicholson's  shoul- 
ders. 

"  There  aren't  any  flies  on  Mr.  Nicholson  that 
I  can  see,"  laughed  Miss  Tolmy. 

"  Well,  I  have  to  make  believe  there  are,"  an- 


THE  PICNIC  79 

swered  Phil.  "  He's  getting  altogether  too  many 
compliments." 

Luncheon  over,  the  party  collected  and  packed 
remnants,  stored  them  away  in  the  car,  and  went  to 
the  alligator  farm  not  far  distant. 

"  Over  a  thousand  alligators !  Just  think  of 
that,"  said  Ruby. 

"  Yes,  and  I  want  one  to  carry  home,"  added 
Carol.  "  Somebody  find  me  a  box,  please." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  want  to  ride  in  the  same  car  with 
you,  then,"  said  Ruby.  "  I'd  really,  honestly, 
rather  ride  with  a  mouse ! " 

As  Mr.  Nicholson  still  continued  his  devotion 
to  Miss  Tolmy's  welfare,  Carol  asked  Ruby  pri- 
vately if  she  weren't  glad  he  was  "  provided  for." 

"  Yes,  but  he  needn't  act  as  if  none  of  the  rest 
of  us  existed." 

Carol's  under  lip  had  the  pressure  of  her  teeth, 
for  she  felt  like  laughing  aloud.  However,  she 
answered,  presently :  "  If  he  does  as  well  in  con- 
ducting his  business  affairs,  he's  a  partner  worth 
having."  It  was  her  private  opinion  that  Mr. 
Nicholson  had  taken  a  very  shrewd  way  of  learn- 
ing how  strong  a  hold  he  had  on  Miss  Ruby's 
heart. 


CHAPTER  IX 
AN  EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA 

"  Will  I  go  to  the  theatre?  Wall,  I  guess  I'm 
ruther  tew  old  tew  begin.  I  never  went  tew  one 
in  my  life.  Don't  yeou  ever  think  mebbe  it's  sin- 
ful? "  said  Aunt  Lucinda  to  Phil,  who  had  po- 
litely invited  her  to  make  one  of  a  box-party,  ex- 
pecting, it  must  be  confessed,  that  she  would 
refuse. 

"  Why,  no,  not  in  itself.  I  think  I  can  learn 
considerable  by  seeing  a  good  play,"  he  answered. 

"  But  there's  sech  a  bad  name  connected  with 
theatres,  I  don't  see  heow  yeou  ken  get  any  good 
eout  of  any  of  'em.  It's  like  eatin'  a  whole  lot  o' 
shucks  tew  get  at  a  grain  of  corn ;  and  likely's  not, 
the  grain's  musty  when  yeou're  done  with  the 
shucks." 

"  But  our  kernel  for  to-night  has  already  been 
husked.  It's  the  real  thing, —  fine  actors,  elegant 
costumes,  foreign  scenery  and  elaborate  music. 
And  besides,  auntie,  how  can  one  really  know 
whether  a  thing  is  good  or  bad  from  one's  own 
view  point  till  one  sees  it  and  judges  for  himself?  " 

"  It's  enough  fer  me  tew  know  that  the  Metho- 
dist church  don't  approve  of  'em.  I  believe  the 

committee  knew  what  they  wuz  a  doin'  when  they 
80 


EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA      81 

passed  the  resolewtions  at  the  conf'runce.  And  I 
agree  with  the  old-timers  among  'em  abeout  dan- 
cin',  too.  I  think  it's  a  tumble  temptation  of 
the  Evil  One.  I  dew  hope,  Phil,  fer  yeour  father's 
and  mother's  sakes,  yeou  won't  never  go  to 
dances."  Aunt  Lucinda  looked  warily  about  as 
she  spoke,  and  not  finding  other  listeners  near,  she 
added,  "  I  want  to  warn  yeou  still  farther,  that 
yeou  must  beware  of  susciety  girls.  They're  born 
flirts,  most  of  'em,  an'  they'll  fix  themselves  up  tew 
look  like  angels,  an'  smile  on  yeou  ez  innersunt  ez 
cherubs,  an'  all  the  time  they're  jest  a  tryin'  to 
get  one  more  tossel  on  to  their  string,  or  string 
tew  their  bow,  whichever  they  call  it,  and  they 
don't  keer  no  more  fer  yeour  feelin's  than  they  do 
fer  the  feelin's  of  a  dog  like  Pug."  Possibly  the 
old  lady  mentioned  Pug,  because  just  then  he 
brushed  against  her  gown  as  she  stood  in  the  hall ; 
and  immediately  she  was  reminded  of  the  fondness 
for  such  pets,  manifested  by  the  society  girls  she 
had  described,  so  she  qualified  her  assertion  by 
saying:  "Not  so  much, —  most  of  'em.  I  don't 
see  what  Ida  wants  of  that  one.  He's  good  fer 
nothin'  that  I  ken  see  but  tew  lie  'reound  an'  eat." 
Phil  was  growing  nervous ;  but  Aunt  Lucinda 
felt  the  importance  of  her  opportunity  and  per- 
sisted. "  Yeou  won't  think  I'm  interfering  I  hope, 
but  I  allers  consider  it  to  be  my  bounden  duty  tew 
tell  folks  ef  I  notice  any  breakers  a  comin'  their 
way.  Sometimes  they  thank  me,  and  sometimes 
they  don't.  Then  yeou  see  I  knew  yeour  father, 


82  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Phil.  Eben  wuz  allers  a  very  respectable  man, 
and  he'll  be  preoud  of  yeou,  ef  yeour  real  stiddy 
and  'tend  tew  business." 

"  I  hope  to  make  him  so ;  but  don't  worry  about 
me,  auntie.  I've  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  world,  if 
I  am  young,  and  I  can  tell  pretty  nearly  the  genu- 
ine from  the  false." 

"  Young  folks  allers  think  they  know,"  she 
sighed. 

"  Anyhow,  don't  worry  about  my  heart.  I'll 
not  lose  it  to  any  girl  who  isn't  willing  to  give  me 
hers  in  return,  and  I'm  sure  to  get  the  best  one 
ever." 

"  Yeou  talk  jest  ez  my  Jimmie  did,  and  he,  poor 
boy,  got  a  girl  that's  allers  be'n  sickly,  and  a  good 
deal  of  a  drag  on  him." 

"  Rut  he  loves  her,  doesn't  he  ?  "  Phil  questioned, 
pertinently,  "  and  she  loves  him." 

"  Mercy,  yes !  She  thinks  he's  the  whole  world 
an'  planetary  system  combined,  an'  well  she  may. 
He  does  pritty  nigh  all  her  work  in  the  heouse,  be- 
sides his  own  in  the  fact'ry,  an'  tends  the  babies 
nights,  to  boot.  They  hev  six  neow,  three  boys  an' 
three  girls." 

"Ah?     Quite  a  handful  for  Jimmie,  ain't  it?" 

"  Ef  he  hadn't  'a'  had  a  good  strong  constitoo- 
tion,  he  never  could  'a'  stood  it,"  she  declared. 

It  was  finally  arranged  that  Mrs.  Morley  should 
remain  at  home  with  their  elderly  guest,  though 
not  without  protest  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Morley, 


EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA      83 

who  offered  to  stay  himself.  Mrs.  Morley  was 
quite  determined,  however,  so  eight  o'clock  found 
her  sitting  by  a  cozy  grate  fire  in  the  den,  with 
Aunt  Lucinda  close  by,  in  a  soft-padded  rocker. 
The  lights  overhead  were  shaded,  but  the  gas  log 
under  the  brick  mantel  sent  out  a  cheerful  blaze, 
which  one  could  hardly  fail  to  appreciate  on  an 
early  spring  night,  even  in  lower  California. 

Aunt  Lucinda  watched  the  play  and  sparkle  of 
the  flame  awhile  in  silence.  It  was  new  to  her, 
and  quite  different  from  the  wood  fires  in  the  great 
chimney  places  of  the  days  of  her  youth.  To  her 
vision,  however,  beauty  paled  into  insignificance 
before  expense.  Nothing  could  long  prove  at- 
tractive to  her  which  was  due  to  extravagance, 
and  she  wished  to  feel  at  ease  about  the  gas  grate. 

"  It  must  cost  consid'able  to  keep  that  a  goin', 
Ida,"  she  said,  at  length. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  much.  Less  than  a  coal  fire,"  was 
the  answer. 

"  Yeou  don't  say  so !  "  exclaimed  the  guest,  and 
after  a  moment's  reflection,  in  which  she  drew  her 
white  crocheted  shawl  with  its  purple  border  a  lit- 
tle off  her  shoulders,  with  a  feeling  that  she  might 
enjoy  the  artificial  heat  to  its  fullest,  she  contin- 
ued: "I  s'pose  Charles  is  a  makin'  money  fast 
eout  here,  an'  yeou  ken  efford  tew  spend." 

"  He  is  doing  well,  but  we  are  far  from  being 
wealthy.  We  try  to  save  a  little  every  year,  and 
we  hope  to  have  enough  laid  by  to  make  us  com- 
fortable when  we  are  old." 


84.  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  And  I  s'pose  yeou  give  away  a  little  ev'ry  year 
tew  missions  and  sech  like.  Don't  yeou?  " 

"  Yes,  aunt." 

"  That's  right.  I  think  folks  had  orter  give  ac- 
cordin'  ez  they  've  be'n  prospered ;  but  most  of  'em 
don't, —  not  even  a  tenth.  There's  Charles's 
father, —  he  could  never  get  enough  ahead  tew 
give,  he  said,  when  his  childern  wuz  little, —  an' 
Sary  wuz  never  much  at  givin'  eoutside  her  own 
fam'ly.  She  raked  an'  scraped  all  she  could  get 
tewgether  an'  sent  it  on  tew  Charles  when  he  wuz 
off  tew  college,  an'  the  same  tew  Clarence,  when  he 
went.  But  they  had  tew  help  themselves  some,  ez 
'twuz,  an'  I  guess  mebbe  it  didn't  hurt  'em  any. 
Charles  wuz  abeout  ez  big  a  mischief  ez  ever  I  see 
when  he  wuz  a  boy.  He  wuz  allers  a  cuttin'  up 
some  caper  'r  other.  I  never  could  understand 
heow  Sary  could  take  it  so  calm.  My  Jimmie 
wa'n't  nowheres  in  comparison ;  but  he  managed 
tew  work  me  all  up  once  in  awhile,  so  I  jest  had 
tew  shet  myself  up  in  a  room  upstairs  and  pray 
fer  grace.  He  wuz  converted  an'  made  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church  when  he  wuz  past  twenty. 
I'd  begun  tew  think  his  days  of  probation  wuz 
abeout  ended.  And  neow  I  guess  he's  havin'  his 
turn  a  prayin'  fer  grace.  Jonathan,  my  oldest, 
and  Mary  j'ined  when  they  wa'n't  but  fourteen 
and  sixteen." 

"  Do  they  all  live  near  you  ?  " 

"  Jonathan  an'  Mary  dew,  but  Jimmie  went  over 


EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA     85 

tew  Rockville  where  he  could  get  work  in  the  fac- 
t'ry.  Jonathan  runs  my  farm,  an'  I've  got  a  little 
heouse  all  tew  myself,  deown  in  a  corner  lot. 
There's  a  nice  stun  wall  on  three  sides  and  a  picket 
fence  in  front.  'Lishy  fixed  it  afore  he  died,  an' 
I  never  could  feel  right  tew  live  anywheres  else, 
though  Mary  an'  her  man  asked  me  to  go  an'  live 
with  them.  She's  got  two  big  boys,  an'  I  couldn't 
stand  the  racket.  Jonathan's  oldest  is  of  age  an' 
past,  an'  a  big  help  on  the  farm ;  an'  his  girl,  Ma- 
tildy,  she  teaches.  I've  got  ten  grandchildern  in 
all;  an'  none  of  'em  married,  though  some  on  'em 
w'u'd  be  better  off  ef  they  wuz,  accordin'  tew  my 
idees." 

"  I  hope  they  will  all  prove  a  comfort  to  you  and 
their  parents." 

"  Mebbe  they  will  an'  mebbe  they  won't. 
Jeddy, —  that's  Jimmie's  youngest  boy, —  is  a 
good  deal  sech  a  mischief  ez  Charles  wuz  at  his 
age.  He's  jest  full  of  his  pranks.  Julyette 
thinks  he's  the  smartest  of  the  whole  lot." 

"  Charles  is  one  splendid  man,  aunt,  whatever 
he  was  when  a  boy." 

"  I'm  glad  tew  hear  yeou  stand  up  fer  him.  I 
s'pose  yeou're  both  officers,  mebbe,  in  the  church?  " 

"  No.  I'm  a  member  of  the  finance  committee, 
that  is  all." 

"  Wall,  I  hope  yeou  will  try  tew  exert  an  inflew- 
unce  fer  good  on  these  young  folks  here  a  visitin' 
yeou.  They  seem  tew  be  pritty  giddy.  I  wuz 


86  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

sorry  tew  see  Charles  go  off  with  'em  tew  the  thea- 
tre. P'raps  he  wouldn't  'a'  thought  o'  goin'  ef 
they  hadn't  'a'  b'en  here." 

"  We  go  occasionally.  It  diverts  our  minds, 
amuses  us,  and  grown  people  need  recreation  as 
much,  almost,  as  children." 

"  Wall,  I  dun'no'  what  this  generation  is  a 
comin'  tew!  'Twuz  all  the  amusement  /  wanted 
when  7  wuz  young  tew  'tend  singin'  school  er  the 
fortnightly  sewin'  circles,  er  a  quiltin',  er  huskin' 
bee.  I  don't  see  why  folks  can't  be  satisfied  with 
things  that  ain't  noways  hurtful  tew  their  moral 
natur's.  The  more  they  go  tew  these  excitin'  do- 
in's,  the  more  they  want  tew,  an'  by  an'  by,  I  guess 
mebbe  'twill  take  all  the  ingenuity  of  Beelzebub 
himself  to  cunjure  up  amusemunts  tew  satisfy  'em. 
I've  heerd  tell  they  hev  red  an'  blew  an'  green 
lights  an'  the  sulphur  smell  at  the  theatres  a'ready. 
Is  that  so,  Ida?  " 

"  It  is  true  that  chemicals  are  sometimes  used  to 
produce  colored  lights,  and  that  they  cause  an  un- 
pleasant odor;  but  in  the  large  theatres  in  the 
cities,  they  use  electricity  under  colored  glass  bulbs 
which  produce  beautiful,  soft  shades,  without 
odor.  If  you  could  see  some  of  the  transformation 
scenes  I  believe  you  would  think  them  lovely.  And 
I  want  you  to  see  the  '  Mission  Play.'  It  is  out 
at  San  Gabriel,  near  one  of  the  old  missions,  and 
is  a  good  deal  like  a  Sunday  school  book  illus- 
trated; all  about  the  discovery  of  California,  and 
the  mission  fathers,  and  what  they  did  to  civilize 


EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA      87 

and  Christianize  the  natives.  It's  wonderful! 
Won't  you  promise  to  go,  aunt?  " 

"  I  don't  like  tew  make  rash  promises.  Besides, 
what  yeou  might  call  a  Sunday  school  book  pic- 
tered  eout  might  look  very  diff'runt  tew  me.  I 
s'pose  there's  love  scenes  in  it,  ain't  there?  " 

"  Yes,  a  native  wedding." 

"  I  thought  ez  much.  Sech  plays,  with  a  little 
good  an'  a  lot  of  evil,  allure  an'  allure,  till  they 
turn  even  Christians'  hearts.  I  wuz  allers  opposed 
tew  love  makin'  on  the  stage.  It  sets  young  folks 
crazy  tew  imertate,  an'  the  fust  they  know  they 
think  they  're  a  lovin'  somebuddy,  when  it's  all 
buncom.  Sometimes  they  don't  find  eout  the  sham 
till  they've  gone  an'  got  married,  an'  then,  likely 
ez  not,  in  a  little  while,  there's  a  deevorce." 

"  But  everyone  likes  a  true  lover,"  said  Mrs. 
Morley,  a  trifle  disheartened ;  but  trying  her  best 
to  be  cheerful.  "  Those  natives  were  encouraged 
to  be  true  to  each  other,  by  the  old  padres,  as  the 
brave  mission  fathers  were  called." 

"  Wall,  I  can't  see  no  good  in  a  theatre,  myself ; 
an'  don't  yeou  r'ally  think,  now,  Ida,  't  would  'a' 
b'en  better  ef  Charles  had  'a'  taken  them  young 
folks  to  some  interlectyewal  discourse,  or  to  some 
Salvation  Army  doin's  ?  " 

"  But  Phil  and  Marshall  invited  us,  aunt." 

"  Heow  fur  advanced  in  worldliness  they  must 
be !  I'm  turrible  afeerd  Phil  is  a  goin'  tew  be 
struck  on  that  girl,  Carol.  She's  like  a  painted 
picter,  and  looks  is  awful  deceivin'.  Then  she's 


88  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

got  the  fascinatin'est  ways  1  ever  see  in  a  young 
woman ;  an'  young  men  take  turrible  easy  tew  'em. 
I  dew  hope  yeou'll  keep  a  good  watch  on  'em,  an' 
not  hev  a  flirtation  a  goin'  on  right  here  in  yeour 
heouse,  an'  the  blame  a  restin'  on  yeour  shoulders. 
It's  resky,  my  way  o'  lookin'  at  it  —  Phil  bein'  a 
relation,  tew.  His  fam'ly  would  take  it  hard  ef  he 
wuz  disappmted  in  love  at  his  age.  Young  men 
sometimes  never  get  over  a  first  disappmtment. 
I've  heerd  uv  'em  a  committen'  suicide." 

"  They  seem  to  be  sensible  young  people,  all  of 
them,  Aunt  Lucinda ;  and  Carol,  while  she  is  viva- 
cious, wouldn't,  I  feel  sure,  do  a  mean  thing.  She 
wouldn't  flirt  with  Phil.  If  she  makes  any  effort 
to  attract  him,  it  will  be  because  she  honestly  likes 
him,  or  I  am  very  much  mistaken  in  her.  I've 
talked  with  her  about  these  matters,  and  I  know 
she  has  plenty  of  common  sense." 

"  Wall,  I'm  glad  yeou've  talked  with  her  abeout 
sech  things.  That  shows  good  jedgment  on  yeour 
part.  Phil  seems  tew  be  a  likely  young  man,  an' 
ef  he  could  marry  some  good  stiddy  girl  like  my 
Mary,  he'd  prob'ly  settle  right  deown." 

"  You  have  had  a  good  many  years  of  experi- 
ence, aunt,  and  ought  to  be  pretty  well  posted  in 
affairs  of  the  heart,"  conceded  the  hostess  with 
some  doubts. 

"  Yes,  I  wuz  pritty  self-willed  myself,  when  I 
wuz  young.  But  Lishy,  he'd  give  in,  when  he  see 
*t  I  wouldn't,  an'  when  he  wuz  '  sot  on  '  havin'  his 
way,  and  I  could,  witheout  a  taxin'  my  conscience 


EVENING  WITH  AUNT  LUCINDA      89 

tew  much,  7'd  give  in.  But  when  I  knew  positive 
I  wuz  in  the  right,  I  never  would.  I  remember 
once  he  wanted  to  sell  one  of  eour  old  keows,  an* 
he  had  a  chance  tew  talk  tew  a  man  abeout  it  on  a 
Sunday.  I  warned  him ;  but  he  stuck  tew  it  'twuz 
all  right,  because  the  man  lived  three  er  four  miles 
away,  an'  'twant  convenient  tew  see  him  on  a  week 
day.  The  feller  calkilated  tew  come  and  take  the 
keow  away  on  Monday  mornin',  an'  ef  yeou'll  be- 
lieve it,  she  threw  herself  in  the  stall  an'  broke 
her  leg  on  Sunday  night.  Lishy  looked  sheepish 
enough  when  he  come  in  from  the  stable;  an'  I 
kinder  got  the  whole  thing  eout  of  him  by  degrees. 
Then  I  said,  '  Lishy,  shell  yeou  want  tew  make 
any  more  Sunday  trades  ?  '  An'  he  says :  '  I 
guess  I'll  let  up  on  'em  a  couple  o'  Sundays,  Cindy.' 
But  'twuz  the  last.  He  lived  a  good  while  after 
that,  tew.  He  wuz  a  well-meanin'  man,  LTshy 
wuz." 

Mrs.  Morley  permitted  her  guest  to  indulge  in 
reminiscences,  as  she  rocked  herself  gently  in  the 
soft-padded  rocker.  It  was  better  than  argu- 
ment. She  supposed  Aunt  Lucinda  was  too  old  to 
learn  new  ways,  or  to  change  her  beliefs  regarding 
the  essentials  of  life. 

The  mantel  clock  at  length  aroused  the  lady, 
and  she  exclaimed :  "  Ken  it  be  thet  we  hev  set 
here  an'  talked  an  hour?  It's  time  I  wuz  a  goin' 
upstairs.  I  s'pose  yeou'll  hev  tew  sit  up  till  ten 
er  eleven,  mebbe,  Ida.  Don't  yeou  get  dreadful 
sleepy  an'  tired?  " 


90  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Oh,  no,  I'll  not  need  to  sit  up.  Sometimes, 
when  it  is  necessary  to  do  so,  I  amuse  myself  read- 
ing, or  writing  letters.  I'll  go  upstairs  with  you 
now,  aunt,  and  turn  on  the  lights  in  your  room. 
I  want  you  to  retire  and  rise  just  when  you  please 
while  you  are  with  us.  If  you  are  up  early,  and 
feel  hungry,  the  cook  will  get  you  something  to 
eat.  She  is  usually  up  at  six." 

"  Wall,  I  don't  want  tew  make  no  trouble ;  but 
I'm  used  tew  gettin'  up  early,  an'  ef  I  won't  dis- 
turb nobody,  mebbe  I'll  take  a  little  walk  some- 
wheres  'reound, —  deown  the  road  a  piece,  mebbe, 
where  I  see  some  old-fashioned  hollyhocks  a  grow- 
in',  ez  I  come  in." 


CHAPTER  X 
DREAMS 

"  If  people  can't  have  what  they  want,  there  is 
no  better  way  than  to  try  to  be  satisfied  with  what 
they  may  have,  I  suppose,"  said  Ruby,  with  a 
yawn. 

"  What  in  this  wide  world  do  you  want  that  you 
cannot  have?  "  asked  Carol,  facetiously. 

Ruby  smiled  in  a  cursory  way  and  proceeded  to 
unfasten  her  kid  boots.  "  I  have  no  maid  to  help 
me  off  with  my  things,  and  I'm  —  so  —  sleepy," 
she  answered,  presently. 

"Why  didn't  you  bring  Lucy?" — meaning  a 
young  orphan  girl  who  had  lived  with  the  Guilds 
for  several  years. 

"  She  would  have  been  so  pleased  to  have  come," 
was  the  reply.  "  And  that  reminds  me  how  un- 
grateful I  am.  Why  am  I  entitled  to  so  much 
more  than  she,  just  because  I  happen  to  be  Mr. 
Guild's  daughter?" 

"  Oh,  I  think  it  didn't  just  happen  so,  Ruby. 
Naturally,  you  inherited  a  right  to  more.  If  some 
people  didn't  succeed  in  making  something  of  them- 
selves and  their  progeny,  we  might  all  be  in  the 
slums,  and  then  what  would  become  of  the  poor 

Lucys  and  Johnnies,  I  wonder?  " 

91 


92  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Yet  it  does  seem  hard  for  the  slummerites." 

"  Actually,  it  doesn't  make  much  difference 
whether  one  has  large  sums  of  money  or  not.  It's 
the  moral  qualifications  which  count.  One  may 
exact  sweets  from  life  anywhere." 

"  In  a  cobwebby  attic,  with  a  half-dozen  kids  to 
be  fed  and  no  bread  coming  in?  " 

"  No  one  has  any  business  to  live  with  cobwebs ; 
attics  may  be  clean,  my  dear;  and  if  the  in- 
mates love  each  other  and  try  to  do  what  they  can 
for  themselves,  they  should  be  happy.  Why  not 
there  as  well  as  in  a  mansion,  or  a  palace,  with 
threats  of  the  *  Black  Hand  '  staring  one  in  the 
face,  and  with  dynamite  under  the  doorstep  and 
bombs  in  one's  bouquets?  Honestly,  Ruby,  I 
can't  conceive  of  a  possible  case  where  love,  and 
faith,  can't  find  a  way  to  bread  and  butter  and  all 
else  that  is  necessary  to  happiness.  It  is  selfish- 
ness, and  distrust  and  laziness  that  make  for  pov- 
erty and  misery.  Don't  you  believe  it?  " 

"  I  believe  that  I  ought  to  believe  it,  but  I 
should  dislike  being  put  to  the  test.  I'm  afraid 
my  faith  is  a  good  deal  like  molasses  candy, —  stiff 
when  it  is  kept  cool,  and  soft  and  runny  in  a  warm 
place." 

"  In  other  words,  you  think  my  theories  are  all 
right  for  a  set  of  human  beings  that  may  exist  a 
thousand  years  from  now?  "  was  the  reply,  then 
abruptly :  "  Did  Marshall  tell  you  that  he  and 
Phil  are  planning  on  going  to  San  Diego  next  week 
sometime  ?  " 


DREAMS  93 

"  No,  and  aren't  they  coming  back?  " 

"  They  may  —  for  a  day  or  two." 

Both  young  ladies  had  fallen  into  a  habit  of 
speaking  of  the  young  men  privately  in  this  famil- 
iar manner,  as  did  their  host  and  hostess. 

"  You  don't  appear  to  take  the  matter  very 
much  to  heart,  Ruby." 

"  Do  you  realize  that  less  than  a  week  ago  we 
had  never  seen  either  of  them?  " 

"  But  you  have  known  Phil  by  reputation  for  a 
much  longer  period.  In  fact,  I  thought  your  in- 
terest in  him  dated  back  to  your  sister's  visit  to 
Boston,  where  she  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet 
him." 

Ruby  tossed  stray  strands  of  hair  back  from  her 
face.  The  starry  light  in  her  eyes  was  superbly 
reflected  from  a  large  plate  glass  mirror  opposite 
her. 

"  How  one's  hair  does  tangle  if  there's  the  least 
breeze,"  she  observed,  piquantly. 

"  I  didn't  notice  any  breeze  coming  up,"  replied 
Carol,  laughing,  "  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  Mar- 
shall was  quite  determined  to  be  exclusive, —  or 
was  it  you,  Ruby?  You  did  look  bewitching  this 
evening,  indeed  you  did.  Pink  is  your  color;  and 
those  lovely  Cecil  Brunner  roses  he  gave  you ! 
Well,  it  looks  a  little  as  if  matters  were  growing 
serious." 

"Is  that  so?  Well,  I  hadn't  the  least  idea  it 
looked  that  way  to  anyone,  I'm  sure.  He  was 
talking  coming  back  about  the  Yale  and  Harvard 


94  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

races,  and  about  some  young  people  he  met  at 
Gales  Ferry,  at  the  Harvard  quarters  on  the 
Thames." 

"  Ah  ?  Funny, —  Phil  was  telling  me  about  a 
week  he  spent  in  a  house  boat  on  the  Nile.  I  for- 
get the  name  he  gave  it;  but  it  was  like  a  big 
cruiser.  A  friend  of  the  uncle  he  was  traveling 
with  had  rented  it  for  the  season." 

"  Tell  me  some  of  his  experiences." 

"Do  you  know  that  it  is  past  midnight?  It 
was  nearly  that  when  we  left  the  Country  Club." 

"  That  doesn't  matter." 

"  Not  when  you  are  —  so  —  sleepy?  "  laughed 
Carol. 

"  I've  gotten  all  over  that." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  there  were  only  bachelors  on 
board,  and  Phil  was  the  youngest  bored.  See? 
Nothing  from  morning  till  night  but  yarns  and 
grub,  billiards  and  chess,  smoke  and  then  more 
yarns.  He  made  some  excuse  to  get  off  every  day, 
and  went  to  the  nearest  port  sight-seeing." 

"  Alexandria,  I  suppose.  But,  Carol,  weren't 
the  decorations  perfectly  lovely  at  the  Club? 
Such  quantities  of  ferns  and  those  gorgeous  Cali- 
fornia poppies  !  M-m-m-m-m !  " 

"  Splendid !  There  were  such  fine  people  too, 
and  so  many  elegant  costumes.  What  a  glorious 
time  we  are  having !  " 

"  But  go  on  about  the  boat.  What  else  did 
Phil  say?" 

"  '  Never  again  for  me.'     '  Merely  this  and  noth- 


DREAMS  95 

ing  more,'  as  Poe  said  of  the  raven's  croaking." 
With  this  remark,  Carol  lifted  a  pillow  from  the 
bed,  preparatory  to  turning  back  the  covers,  and 
found  beneath  a  white,  satiny  case,  tied  with  rib- 
bons. 

"  Oh,  Ruby, —  somebody's  been  getting  mar- 
ried !  "  and  dancing,  box  in  hand,  toward  the  elec- 
tric light  near  the  dresser,  she  held  it  up  for  closer 
examination.  Ruby  followed  with  much  curiosity 
to  view  the  contents. 

When  opened,  a  card  from  Mrs.  Morley  ap- 
peared. It  read :  "  Girls,  I  thought  you  might 
like  to  dream  over  this  cake.  A  friend  of  ours 
brought  it  from  Redlands  to-day.  I  hope  you  will 
dream  something  worth  while." 

"  Lucky  you  found  it  when  you  did." 

"  Yes,  and  it  was  good  of  Ida  to  think  of  us. 
Now  take  your  share  of  the  cake,  and  don't  dis- 
appoint her !  " 

"  I  seldom  dream.  You  will  have  to  see  things 
in  your  sleep  for  both  of  us.  You  can.  There's 
nothing  you  can't  do,  Carol." 

"  Except  to  manage  you,  and  one  or  two  other 
little  things.  Ruby,  you  exalt  my  aspirations ! 
With  you  by,  my  impulses  are  Herculean !  I  can 
even  hope  to  dream  for  two.  Good-night.  A 
kiss  and  benedictions  on  your  philosophical  brow." 
This  with  appropriate  gestures  and  illustrations. 

"Oh,  Carol,  you  are  just  killing!  If  Phil 
doesn't  get  a  — " 

"  Hush,  dear.     If  some  one  should  —  I  believe 


96  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

—  truly  I  do  —  that  I  heard  a  sound  near  the 
door ! " 

"  You  are  beginning  to  dream,"  whispered 
Ruby. 

When  this  young  lady  awoke,  sunlight  was 
pouring  in  a  golden  flame  through  open  windows. 
In  spite  of  her  previous  declaration  to  the  con- 
trary, she  had  dreamed  dreams  over  the  wedding 
cake.  While  her  companion  slept,  she  reenacted 
them  in  her  thoughts,  and  as  Carol  at  length 
opened  her  eyes,  she  said  with  suppressed  excite- 
ment :  "  It  is  time  we  were  up,  dear ;  besides,  I 
had  a  dream." 

"  Truly?  "  Carol  half  arose  and  looked  into 
Ruby's  face.  Reassured,  she  confessed :  "  I 
dreamed,  too,  of  going  to  Mars  in  an  airship ;  but 
I  had  no  sooner  gotten  there  than  I  awoke, —  no 
chance  at  all  to  explore,  not  even  a  lone  fisherman 
at  the  landing.  It  was  fun,  though,  going  up, 
sort  of  a  misty  atmosphere,  like  an  extension  of 
the  milky  way.  I'm  glad  we  didn't  have  an  acci- 
dent and  drop,  for  I  don't  remember  seeing  any 
life-saving  apparatus  anywhere  about."  Falling 
back  on  her  pillow,  she  said :  "  Now  yours, 
please,"  and  turning  a  listening  ear,  she  half 
closed  her  still  weighty  eyelids. 

"  I  thought  I  was  walking  alone  in  a  forest  of 
tall  eucalyptus  and  palm  trees,"  began  Ruby. 
"  In  a  little  while,  I  met  Melba  and  Caruso  and 
Schumann-Heink — " 


DREAMS  97 

"  Equal  to  the  flight  of  the  airship,"  com- 
mented Carol.  "  Pardon.  Go  on,  please." 

"  They  asked  me  if  I  were  looking  for  some  one, 
and  I  said  I  was  in  search  of  you,  Carol,  and  I 
described  you  as  a  pretty  girl  in  a  white  crepe  de 
chine  gown." 

"  Thank  you.  I'm  glad  it  wasn't  that  old 
figured  kimono !  " 

"  They  were  sure  they  had  seen  you  a  little  way 
back,  and  Melba  said  she  was  sure  I  could  over- 
take you,  if  I  would  hurry,  as  you  were  walking 
slowly.  Oh,  it  all  seemed  as  natural.  Caruso 
looked  as  if  he  thought  I  should  pay  for  the  in- 
formation ;  but  I  didn't  offer  to,  and  went  on. 
Pretty  soon  I  saw  you,  just  as  plainly,  and  the 
very  instant  Phil  came  rushing  out  from  be- 
hind a  clump  of  trees,  and  snatched  you  away. 
I  called :  *  Carol  —  Carol  —  Carol,' —  oh,  so 
loudly,  I  wonder  you  didn't  wake ;  but  you  paid 
no  attention,  even  in  the  dream,  and  as  I  turned 
away,  Marshall  bobbed  up  from  somewhere,  and 
said  to  me :  '  It's  a  fact,  they've  gone  and  left 
us.'  With  that,  he  pulled  a  spray  of  ivy,  root 
and  all,  from  the  path,  and  wound  it  around  my 
neck.  Where  we  finally  went,  I  can't  say.  But 
it  was  a  vivid  dream,  and  it  contains  a  warn- 
ing." 

With  a  merry  laugh,  Carol  repeated :  "  Phil 
'  snatched  '  me  away !  That  is  too  good !  And 
didn't  I  make  any  resistance?" 

"  You  didn't  have  time.     It  took  you  by  sur- 


98  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

prise,  you  see.  But  now  you've  been  warned,  and 
can  be  on  the  lookout." 

"  Trust  me,"  she  answered,  lightly. 

In  a  brief  time  she  had  bathed  and  dressed,  and 
was  below  stairs  ahead  of  the  more  deliberate 
Ruby.  There  she  met  Marshall,  who  begged  her 
to  sing. 

"  I  would  do  better  to  have  an  accompanist ; 
but  as  Ruby  isn't  ready,  I'll  try  it  alone." 

First  she  played  strains  of  an  air  from  "  The 
Prince  of  Pilsen,"  and  sang  "  The  Message  of  the 
Violets."  Meanwhile,  her  blue  eyes,  full  of  mirth, 
were  turned  upon  his  face,  now  and  then,  as  he 
stood  near  by.  This  finished,  she  began  crooning, 
prettily,  an  African  mother's  song  to  her  baby ; 
then  thinking  to  please  him  better,  she  sang  a 
classic, —  chin  uplifted,  and  cheeks  aglow.  It 
was  a  selection  which  a  music  lover  like  Marshall 
could  not  fail  to  enjoy. 

He  expressed  his  appreciation  quite  to  her  satis- 
faction, then  she  said :  "  I'll  bring  down  all  the 
music  I  have  with  me, —  quite  a  variety, —  some- 
time, and  you  shall  make  your  own  choice." 

"  Do  you  know  that  you  would  do  well  in  opera  ? 
Haven't  you  ever  thought  of  going  on  the  stage?  " 
he  asked,  forgetting  to  thank  her. 

"  Yes,  but  I  think  I  would  rather  not.  It  is  a 
'  dog's  life,'  I  have  been  told." 

"  Being  a  star  and  thrilling  audiences  wouldn't 
be  any  inducement,  then?  " 

"  No,  not  being  a  grand  opera  star.     It  is  all 


DREAMS  99 

right  for  those  who  feel  called;  but  my  ambition 
lies  in  another  direction." 

"  Teaching,  perhaps ;  you  certainly  wouldn't  let 
your  talent  go  to  waste,"  he  persisted. 

"  Not  intentionally,"  was  a  smiling  reply.  "  Is 
it  a  waste  to  use  it  for  family  and  friends,  to  sing 
in  public  for  those  in  the  home  town,  when  oppor- 
tunity offers?  " 

"  Well  —  no  —  not  entirely ;  but  think  of  hav- 
ing the  world  for  an  audience." 

"  Perhaps  you  overestimate  my  ability.  The 
call  comes  with  the  power  to  respond  from  the 
heart,  it  seems  to  me." 

Phil  and  Ruby  entered  as  they  conversed. 

"  Don't  let  us  interrupt  your  tete-a-tete,"  said 
Phil. 

"  Oh,  it's  not  so  important.  You  are  quite  wel- 
come," acknowledged  Carol. 

"  I  think  I  heard  you  humming  a  part  of  '  If 
I  but  Knew  '  awhile  ago.  If  you  don't  mind,  I 
would  greatly  like  to  hear  the  whole,"  he  contin- 
ued, seating  himself  beside  Ruby. 

"  Come  play  for  me,"  she  requested  that  young 
lady. 

Without  notes,  Carol  sang,  her  face  toward  her 
audience,  her  voice  clear  and  full  and  sweet  as  the 
morning  air  laden  with  fragrance  of  flowers. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  stanza,  she  was  looking 
off  through  a  window,  upon  the  flower-decked 
trellis  of  the  garden. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  stanza,  her  violet  eyes 


100  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

were   bent   upon   Marshall :     "  If  I   but   knew  — 
if  I  but  knew." 

The  words  of  the  closing  lines  fell  in  charming 
cadences : 

"  If  I  but  knew  what  the  tree  tops  say, 
Whispering  secrets  night  and  day, 
I'd  make  a  song  my  love,  for  you  — 
If  I  but  knew  —  if  I  but  knew." 

The  violet  deeps  told  Phil :  "  There,  you  have 
it  all.  It  was  for  you, —  and  I'm  sure  you  were 
pleased." 

He  gave  her  a  hearty  encore,  in  which  Marshall 
joined.  She  bowed  her  thanks,  as  a  star  upon  the 
stage  might  have  done ;  first  to  Phil,  then  to  Mar- 
shall, and  went  waltzing  like  a  winged  fairy, — 
so  daintily  and  airily  she  swung, —  out  of  the  liv- 
ing room. 

Phil,  impulsively,  started  in  pursuit. 

Marshall  said  to  Ruby :  "  We're  deserted, — 
but  never  mind." 

Her  face  flushed,  slightly.  She  was  reminded 
of  her  dream.  Phil  and  Carol  had  disappeared 
together,  and  Marshall  was  trying  to  console  her. 
She  glanced  at  his  hands  as  if  she  expected  to  see 
the  ivy  chain. 

"  Why  can't  we  take  a  stroll  somewhere,  too  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  We  might,"  and  glancing  at  the  clock,  "  It's 
not  yet  eight.  Where  shall  we  go  ?  " 

"  The  Park?  "  he  suggested. 


DREAMS  101 

As  there  was  no  one  within  sight  to  whom  they 
might  offer  excuses,  they  left  the  house  uncere- 
moniously. The  way  was  quite  clear  down  the 
asphalt  walk,  down  the  steps  leading  from  the  ter- 
race, and  for  some  distance  up  the  street. 

At  the  Park,  seated  on  one  of  the  long  benches 
near  the  lake,  they  watched  the  flocks  of  duck  mov- 
ing gracefully  through  the  water. 

Marshall  bought  some  popped  corn  of  a  dealer 
on  the  grounds,  and  they  threw  kernels  at  the 
floating  fowls  and  laughed  at  their  eager 
scrambling. 

"They're  a  selfish  lot.  Don't  you  think  so?" 
asked  Marshall. 

"  Like  people,  each  wanting  more  than  his  neigh- 
bor has,"  she  assented. 

"  But  we  wouldn't  take  ours  right  out  of  a 
neighbor's  mouth,  would  we?  " 

"  We  might,  if  we  wanted  it  badly, —  more  than 
he.  The  one  who  wants  a  thing  most  makes  great- 
est effort  to  get  it,  I  think." 

"  But  all  are  not  equally  strong." 

"  No,  but  provided  they  are  equally  strong." 

Directly,  Ruby  espied  a  familiar  looking  couple 
coming  up  the  street  which  she  and  Marshall  had 
taken.  One  of  the  two  had  fluffy  golden  hair. 

"  There  they  are !  "  she  exclaimed,  breathlessly. 

"  They  will  overtake  us,"  said  Marshall.  "  But 
they  can't  steal  our  kernel.  We  have  already 
devoured  it." 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  OLD  WAY  AND  THE  NEW 

Aunt  Lucinda  was  pleased  to  learn  that  the 
Morley  family,  including  guests  and  servants, 
would  attend  church  at  least  once  on  Sunday. 

"  I  s'pose  somebuddy  hez  tew  stay  home  to  cook 
meals  an'  see  to  *  reddin'  up.'  We  ain't  got  tew 
that  pass  where  we  ken  live  witheout  eatin',"  she 
said  to  Mrs.  Morley ;  "  but  I  think  'twould  be 
more  healthy  fer  us  ef  yeou  wouldn't  hev  so  much 
rich  stuff,  Ida.  Breown  bread  an'  baked  beans 
an'  corn-beef  with  cabbage,  and  riz  doughnuts  an' 
pieplant  pie  're  good  'nough  fer  anybuddy.  These 
'ere  saleds  an'  iced  fixin's  give  folks  dispepsy." 

"  We  will  have  some  brown  bread  and  fig  pud- 
ding to-day,  aunt,"  answered  Mrs.  Morley,  pleas- 
antly. "Made  of  fresh  figs.  You'll  like  it,  I 
know." 

The  service  which  the  Morley  party  attended 
was  held  in  a  large  auditorium,  and  its  immensity 
was  somewhat  awesome  to  one  so  long  accustomed 
to  a  small,  old-fashioned  country  church,  like  many 
still  standing  in  New  England  rural  communities. 
The  grand  organ  and  superb  choir  stirred  Aunt 
Lucinda's  emotions  yet  more  deeply;  and  the  ser- 
102 


THE  OLD  WAY  AND  THE  NEW      103 

mon  was  destined  to  make  a  novel  impression,  for 
it  was  upon,  her  favorite  theme :  "  Bearing  the 
Cross."  She  was  astonished  to  find  that  the 
speaker's  ideas  differed  widely  from  her  own.  She 
had  considered  the  cross  not  only  a  necessary  bur- 
den to  mankind;  but  believed  it  to  be  a  burden 
which  should  try  men's  souls,  chiefly  by  its  weight 
of  pain  and  suffering.  The  heavier  the  cross 
could  be  made  to  feel,  the  greater  the  glory,  and 
the  more  dazzling  the  crown  to  be  won.  This 
preacher,  evidently,  looked  upon  a  cross  as  some- 
thing which  might  be  borne  with  continual  rejoic- 
ing :  "  Men  bearing  them  as  heavy  burdens, 
grievous  to  be  borne,  are  bearing  an  ignominious 
cross  of  their  own  making,"  he  said, —  "  a  poor, 
miserable,  thorny  cross,  which  makes  the  bearer 
poor  and  miserable  and  pessimistic  and  discour- 
aged and  altogether  degraded."  He  gave  as  an 
illustration :  "  The  man  who  grumbles  and  wears 
a  long  face  and  refuses  to  be  happy,  because,  for- 
sooth, he  has  some  disease  which  he  has  contracted 
through  disobedience  to  God's  laws, —  an  habitual 
headache,  a  sour  taste  in  his  mouth,  a  weight  on 
his  chest,  a  pain  in  his  great  toe.  The  cross  he 
has  constructed  for  himself  is  dyspepsia  and  gout 
and  a  long  train  of  ills,  with  a  long  list  of  tech- 
nical names  to  designate  their  separate  horrors. 
But  the  cross  the  Lord  wants  him  to  bear  is  for- 
getfulness  of  self,  in  endeavor  to  regain  his  lost 
health  by  right  thinking  and  right  living !  " 

"  Wall,  I  never !  "  thought  Aunt  Lucinda.     "  I 


104  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

wonder  what  he  would  say  to  rheumatics,  con- 
tracted by  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  while  he  wuz 
attendin'  a  fun'ral,  on  a  cold,  blust'rin'  day,  in 
Connecticut?  I've  seen  jest  sech  a  case." 

The  pulpit  orator  must  certainly  have  had  her 
pet  theories  in  mind,  and  he  evidently  intended  to 
scatter  them  to  the  winds  of  a  new  era,  for  he  gave 
another  illustration  of  "  a  mistaken  individual  who 
supposed  he  was  bearing  the  Lord's  cross  in  a 
sprained  ankle,  the  result  of  slipping  on  the  ice 
when  on  his  way  to  visit  a  sick  friend, —  that  was 
way  back  East,  you  know ;  here  it  might  have  been 
an  orange  peeling,  or  an  unnoticed  break  in  the 
pavement.  The  Lord  doesn't  send  sprained 
ankles,  nor  rheumatism,  nor  dyspepsia,  nor  any  evil 
whatsoever.  They  are  of  man's  own  contriving, 
through  ignorant  or  reckless  or  willful  misdeeds," 
he  argued,  "  but  if,  in  patience  and  optimism  and 
love  and  trust  man  strives  to  overcome  self-im- 
posed and  so-called  hereditary  evils,  he  is  bearing 
God's  cross  in  God's  way,  and  He  will  make  the 
burden  light.  We  are  to  exercise  the  power  which 
the  Almighty  bestows.  It  lies  within  each  of  us, 
and  it  is  ready  to  our  call.  It  is  all-conquering, 
never-failing.  Claim  your  sonship!  Glorify 
your  Father  through  obedience  to  His  teaching, 
given  from  the  lips  of  the  Elder  Brother,  who 
said :  *  Take  up  your  cross  and  follow  me.  My 
yoke  is  easy  and  my  burden  is  light.' ' 

Returning  to  the  Morleys',  Aunt  Lucinda  com- 
mented :  "  Yeou've  got  one  uv  them  newfangled 


THE  OLD  WAY  AND  THE  NEW      105 

preachers  eout  here,  I  see.  He  would  make  eout 
that  rheumatics  and  broken  bones  aire  ez  com- 
fitable  ez  a  bed  of  geese  feathers  in  midwinter  at 
*  The  Notch,'  er  ez  one  o'  them  'ere  plush-backed 
Morris  cheers.  I  like  ministers  tew  call  a  cross 
a  cross,  an'  that's  jest  what  eour  Methodist  min- 
ister does  back  home.  Ef  we  suffer  here,  we'll 
sing  an'  laugh,  mebbe,  over  vender." 

After  dinner,  which  was  more  to  her  liking  than 
the  sermon,  the  elderly  guest  settled  herself  in  the 
blue  room  for  a  nap ;  but  was  aroused  by  the  ring- 
ing of  the  door  bell.  Soon  a  second  ring  was 
heard,  and  by  and  by,  a  third.  The  last  was  so 
impelling  that,  clad  as  she  was,  in  a  black  satteen 
petticoat,  and  a  loose  sacque  of  figured  dimity, 
which  "  Mary  "  had  modeled  after  a  paper  pat- 
tern, she  went  downstairs  to  learn  the  cause.  It 
occurred  to  her  that  Charles  and  Ida  might  be 
having  a  neighborhood  prayer  meeting,  or  a  Sun- 
day class  for  poor  children  of  their  acquaintance, 
and  that  they  might  have  forgotten  to  mention  the 
matter  to  her,  or  possibly  had  disliked  to  disturb 
her  rest. 

With  some  trepidation,  she  found  her  way  to 
the  kitchen,  and  inquired  of  the  cook,  who  were 
in  the  "  parlor." 

"  It's  just  some  company  for  the  young  people," 
she  answered. 

"  Yeou  don't  mean  invited  company?  " 

"  Some  callers,"  was  the  rather  curt  reply. 

"  Wall  —  I  thought  —  But  mebbe  it  don't  mat- 


106  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

ter  what  I  thought,"  replied  the  guest,  recollecting 
that  servants  were  not  supposed  to  know  all  about 
their  mistresses'  affairs.  And  she  hurriedly 
found  her  way  back  to  the  blue  room. 

The  sound  of  conversation  and  laughter  and 
music  was  not  conducive  to  sleep,  and  she  finally 
determined  to  see  for  herself  how  her  grand- 
nephew  and  niece  spent  their  Sunday  afternoons. 
She  brushed  and  retwisted  her  hair,  put  on  her 
best  black  henrietta  gown,  a  lace  collar  and  cameo 
pin,  and  a  white  embroidered  crepe  shawl,  which, 
with  its  long,  silken  fringe,  fell  as  gracefully  as 
possible  over  her  angular  shoulders. 

"  I  guess  mebbe  I'll  dew,"  she  mentally  com- 
mented as  she  took  a  final  glance  at  her  reflection 
in  the  mirror  of  the  dressing-table. 

When  she  entered  the  living  room,  Carol  was 
singing ;  but  Mrs.  Morley  arose,  and  led  her  elderly 
guest  to  a  seat  near  her  own,  then,  when  oppor- 
tunity offered,  introduced  the  callers,  thinking: 
"  Aunt  Lucinda  looks  really  nice  in  that  shawl. 
I  didn't  know  she  had  anything  so  pretty." 

But  Aunt  Lucinda  could  not  permit  the  occasion 
to  pass  without  her  wonted  admonitions.  The 
callers  were  barely  outside  the  house,  before  she 
began  questioning  Mr.  Morley  concerning  them. 

"  Some  friends  of  ours,"  he  answered.  "  They 
wanted  to  see  Phil  and  the  rest,  here,  and  the 
young  men  have  so  much  business  on  hand  through 
the  week,  they  find  it  hard  to  make  calls  except  on 
Sunday  afternoons." 


THE  OLD  WAY  AND  THE  NEW      107 

"  Dew  yeou  s'pose  them  young  folks  got  rested 
a  comin'  here?  " 

"  I  hope  so." 

"  It's  a  wonder  tew  me — " 

"  It  probably  rests  you  more,  aunt,  to  attend 
church,  read  your  Bible  and  take  naps.  It  is  too 
late  for  afternoon  service,  at  the  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
but  there  will  be  dozens  of  churches  open  this 
evening  again.  Would  you  like  to  go  some- 
where ?  " 

"  I  never  get  tired  a  goin'  tew  church,  though 
I  dew  like  old-fashioned  orthodox  preachin'  in  the 
pulpit, —  and  its  practice  by  the  pewholders,  tew. 
It's  susciety,  giddy  susciety,  that  makes  me  tired." 

Phil  laughed  as  he  said :  "  You're  having  your 
cross  in  putting  up  with  us,  aren't  you,  auntie?  " 

"  Wall,  it  might  be  wuss.  I'll  acknowledge,  it 
might  be  wuss,"  she  answered.  Phil  was  becom- 
ing a  favorite.  He  seemed  to  appreciate  her  ef- 
forts in  his  behalf,  and  she  liked  his  calling  her 
"  Auntie."  Wise  Phil.  Yet,  she  greatly  feared 
that  Charles  and  Ida  were  trying  to  serve  both 
God  and  Mammon,  with  Mammon  at  the  fore. 

Mr.  Morley,  not  craving  further  argument, 
said,  addressing  Phil  and  Marshall :  "  I  believe 
a  smoke  in  the  roof  garden  would  go  well,  boys." 

"  All  right,"  agreed  Phil,  and  turning  to  Aunt 
Lucinda:  "  I  never  smoke  more  than  two  or  three 
cigars  a  day.  That  isn't  bad,  is  it?"  If  the 
truth  be  told,  he  rather  enjoyed  drawing  out  the 
old  lady's  opinions,  especially  as  they  were  spoken 


108  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

in  the  quaint  dialect  of  a  past  generation  in  many 
Yankee  communities. 

"  I  s'pose  yeou'd  be  better  off  tew  let  'em  alone," 
she  answered,  "  though  LIshy, —  that's  my  hus- 
band that  wuz, —  smoked  a  pipe  an'  chewed  ter- 
backer  till  he  wuz  past  seventy,  an'  said  he  couldn't 
see  no  harm  in't.  But  one  mornin'  we  wuz  a 
hevin'  prayers  ez  yews'yal,  an'  he  wuz  a  readin' 
in  Revelations  abeout  the  New  Jerewsalum,  an' 
the  verse :  *  There  shell  in  no  way  enter  intew  it 
anythin'  that  defileth,'  caught  a  hold  of  him.  He 
looked  up  tew  me,  >an'  he  says :  '  Cindy,  I  s'pect 
they  won't  be  no  spittoons  a  standin'  'reound  in 
them  hev'nly  mansions,  an'  a  man  wouldn't  feel 
like  expectoratin'  on  them  golden  pavemunts.  I 
might  ez  well  give  up  terbacker  afore  I  go,  an'  get 
a  leetle  kinder  yewsed  tew  it.'  Wall,  I  didn't 
think  he  would;  but  he  did.  Still,  he  kerried  it 
'reound  with  him,  an'  one  day  when  he  thought  / 
wa'n't  nowhere  'reound,  he  took  eout  a  big  piece  o' 
plug  terbacker  an'  hed  'n  argewmentation  with  it 
in  his  hand.  I  overheerd  him  say :  *  Yeou  can't 
come  it  over  me.  No-sir-ee !  —  not  by  a  jug  full.' 
And  then  he  shook  his  head,  kinder  jerky  like,  an' 
chugged  it  back  inter  his  pocket." 

"  Bravo  for  Uncle  Elisha,"  said  Mr.  Morley. 

When  the  gentlemen  had  left  the  room,  the 
young  ladies  embraced  the  opportunity  to  walk  in 
the  garden. 

"  I  dew  hope,  Ida,  that  yeou  think  sperityewal 


things  aire  of  most  importance,"  said  the  elderly 
guest  to  her  sole  companion  in  the  living  room. 

"  Oh,  I  do.  Most  certainly,  I  do !  And  I 
think  it  is  being  spiritually  minded  to  be  as  happy 
as  possible, — '  rejoice  always.' ' 

"  Wall,  I  dun'no'.  The  Good  Book  says :  « 'Tis 
better  tew  go  tew  the  heouse  of  mournin'  then  tew 
the  heouse  of  feastin'.' ' 

Just  then,  Carol's  voice  called :  "  Auntie,  Oh, 
Auntie !  "  —  accompanied  by  a  tapping  on  the 
window  at  Aunt  Lucinda's  back.  As  she  turned 
to  listen,  Carol  said,  coaxingly :  "  Come  out  and 
see  the  new  kittens. —  Do !  A  whole  litter  of  six, 
awfully  cute ! " 

"Humph!  Kittens!  Why  a  buddy'd  think 
'twus  su'thin'  uncommon,"  she  replied.  Neverthe- 
less, she  allowed  Mrs.  Morley  to  lead  her  to  the 
tool  house,  where  cat  and  kittens  were  at  home  in 
a  box  of  straw. 

Carol  took  one  of  the  little,  blind  mites  in  her 
hand. 

"  Land  sakes !  Heow  ken  yeou  bear  tew  hold 
the  little  brat?  "  exclaimed  the  old  lady,  with  evi- 
dent disgust. 

"  Oh,  it's  just  as  dear,  auntie,  such  cunning 
little  ears,  and  do  look  at  its  little  pink  nose,  and 
those  paws,  like  pussy  willow  buds.  Mother  cat 
loves  it,"  and, —  placing  her  ear  close  to  the  box, 
— "  she's  purring  now,  to  '  beat  the  band.'  She's 
proud  as  proud  can  be.  You  have  shown  her  great 


110  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

honor  by  calling  to  see  her  family,  auntie,  and  she 
appreciates  it." 

"  Wall,  I  guess  so," —  reluctantly,  from  Aunt 
Lucinda. 

"  Do  you  keep  cats,  Mrs.  Dobbins  ? "  asked 
Ruby. 

"  Why  to  be  sure  I  dew.  Ef  I  didn't,  I'd  be 
run  over  by  rats  an'  mice;  but  I  never  made  sech 
pets  of  'em  as  some  dew.  I  don't  like  tew  have 
'em  lyin'  'reound  on  my  cheer-cushions  an'  a  shed- 
din'  hairs  in  my  vitt'als." 

"  I  wonder  if  this  old  puss  knows  it's  Sunday?  " 
Ruby  added  amusively. 

"  Yes,  indeed  she  does,"  answered  Mrs.  Morley, 
"  for  she  always  gets  her  dinner  earlier  on  that  day 
than  usual,  and  she  comes  to  the  back  door  very 
promptly  and  asks  for  it." 

"  Wall,  I  never !  A  cat  a  knowin'  it's  Sunday. 
More'n  likely  she's  a  thinkin'  o'  stuffin'  an' 
nuthin'  else,"  Aunt  Lucinda  commented. 

"  She's  a  good  cat,"  insisted  the  hostess, — 
"  never  digs  up  plants,  Steve  says,  nor  catches  his 
chickens." 

Aunt  Lucinda  smiled. 

"  Dew  yeou  give  her  Sunday  school  lessons, 
Ida?"  she  asked,  facetiously.  "  Anybuddy  that 
ken  teach  cats  is  fitted  eout  tew  teach  the  skum  o' 
susciety.  A'cordin'  tew  my  way  o'  thinkin', 
'twould  pay  'em  better  tew  spend  their  time  a 
savin'  souls." 

"  Oh,  auntie,  please  say  that  you  believe  in  a 


THE  OLD  WAY  AND  THE  NEW      111 

hereafter  for  cats,"  pleaded  Carol.  Her  appeal- 
ing voice  and  the  tender  look  in  her  violet  eyes 
touched  the  older  woman's  heart. 

In  a  tone,  condescending,  but  not  unkindly,  she 
replied :  "  Ef  ever  yeou  get  tew  heav'n,  child,  I 
hope  yeou'll  want  what  the  Lord  sees  fit  tew  give 
yeou.  Mebbe  He'll  give  yeou  a  cat,  and  mebbe 
He  won't;  but  cat  'r  no  cat,  I  hope  yeou'll  prove 
tew  be  one  of  the  faithful  ones, —  a  virgin,  with 
yeour  lamp  trimmed  an'  a-burnin'." 

"  Thank  you,  auntie,"  answered  Carol,  sweetly, 
and  with  a  pat  on  old  pussy's  head,  she  tucked 
the  kitten  beside  her  in  the  box  of  straw.  This 
done,  she  espied  in  the  doorway  of  the  tool  shed 
a  chubby  face  overtopped  by  a  mat  of  soft,  brown 
curls. 

A  piping  voice  cried  out:  "  7  yant  to  see  itte 
kitty !  7  yant  to  see  —  I  do  !  " 

It  was  Jamie  Doane.  He  had  run  away.  His 
white  dress  was  besmeared  with  coal  dust,  his 
plump  fingers  tightly  clasped  a  chunk  of  coal.  He 
was  shoeless,  and  one  short  sock,  only,  hung  ten- 
aciously to  his  little  fat  foot. 

"  Oh,  the  blessed  little  kid !  My  camera !  I 
must  have  a  picture  of  Jamie  and  the  kittens !  " 
exclaimed  Carol.  In  another  instant  she  had  dis- 
appeared. 

"  I'll  call  his  mother,"  said  Mrs.  Morley. 

And  Aunt  Lucinda  declared :  "  Sech  doin's,  I 
never  did  see !  I  guess  I  better  be  a  goin'  in." 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE  MACHINE 

"  I  suppose  you  women  had  enough  of  shop- 
ping yesterday  to  last  awhile,"  said  Mr.  Morley, 
addressing  the  ladies  of  the  party  at  the  break- 
fast table. 

"  A  little  while,"  answered  Ruby.  "  The  shops 
here  are  perfectly  lovely,  though,  and  I  wouldn't 
mind  going  again  to-day." 

"  Do  you  think  you  have  anything  better  to 
offer,  Mr.  Morley  ?  "  asked  Carol. 

"  Something  that  looks  better  to  me,"  was  the 
smiling  reply.  "  What  do  you  say, —  all  of  you, 
—  to  a  ride  in  the  machine  out  Pasadena  and  Al- 
hambra  way, —  possibly  to  San  Gabriel,  where  we 
could  go  over  the  old  mission  and  see  the  play?  " 

"  They  ought  to  see  *  The  Mission  Play  '  some- 
time before  they  leave,"  said  Mrs.  Morley.  "  I 
tried  to  get  your  aunt  interested  in  it  the  other 
evening." 

"  It's  well  worth  seeing,"  he  answered.  "  They 
have  a  building  on  purpose,  and  running  around 
on  three  sides  in  the  open,  they  have  arranged  a 
miniature  *  El  Camino  Real,' —  the  old  Mission 

Road,  you  know, —  which  runs  from   San  Diego 
112 


THE  MACHINE  113 

where  the  first  mission  was  built,  up  country  for  a 
hundred  miles  or  so,  connecting  the  various  mis- 
sions ;  and  there  are  exact  copies  of  each  old  mis- 
sion, scattered  along  at  intervals,  with  a  realistic 
background  of  California  scenery.  Then  you 
would  enjoy  seeing  the  old  adobe  buildings,  and 
other  curiosities  about  the  place." 

"  I  should  like  it  fine,"  said  Phil. 

"  What  kind  of  a  machine  aire  yeou  thinkin' 
of  going  in,  Charles?  "  asked  Aunt  Lucinda. 

"  Why,  a  touring  car,  an  automobile,  you'd  call 
it." 

"  Yes,  I've  seen  automobiles  in  Connecticut  but 
I  never  heerd  'em  called  machines.  I  didn't  know 
but  yeou  had  one  of  them  'ere  airships  they  tell 
of." 

"  No,  I  haven't  invested  so  far ;  but  I  have  a 
fine  car ;  a  regular  stunner.  I  consider  it  about  as 
safe  as  anything  going,  and  I  would  show  you 
some  of  the  prettiest  country  you  ever  laid  eyes 
on, —  mountains  with  snow-caps,  and  green  hills 
just  below,  and  flowers  every  inch  of  the  way." 

"  Better  go,  auntie,"  advised  Phil.  "  I'll  stand 
sponsor  for  you  if  any  ill  comes  of  it." 

"  Humph !  *  Ev'ry  tub  hez  tew  stand  on  its 
own  bottom,'  an'  I  couldn't  get  eout  of  holdin' 
responsibility  for  my  akshuns,  onless  I  c'u'd  claim 
tew  be  feeble-minded.  I  thank  yeou  jest  the  same ; 
but  it  seems  tew  me  like  temptin'  Proverdunce,  an' 
I  guess  mebbe  I'll  be  better  off  here,  er  over  tew 
Westlake  Park.  I  never  s'posed  folks  could  be 


114*  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

so  contented  a  loafin'  'reound  ez  they  be  there. 
Some  of  'em  jest  set  an'  set,  a  lookin'  at  the  water 
an'  them  'ere  ducks  till  I  sh'u'd  think  they'd  feel 
ez  if  they  wuz  part  an'  parcel  of  the  benches.  And 
there's  a  lot  more,  mostly  women,  that  walk 
areound  kinder  aimless  like,  ez  ef  they  never  hed 
nothin'  tew  dew.  I  jedge  some  of  'em  aire  inver- 
lids.  I've  hed  considable  exper'unce  in  my  time 
with  one  ailmunt  er  anuther  an'  mebbe  I  c'u'd  be 
a  help  tew  some  of  'em.  I  never  see  nothin'  like 
boneset  fer  rheumatics,  and  catnip  tea's  better'n 
pills,  anytime,  tew  keep  off  chills  an'  fever." 

"  When  can  you  be  ready  to  go,  girls  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Morley,  evidently  anxious  to  be  off. 

Mrs.  Morley  glanced  at  the  young  ladies,  in- 
quiringly. 

Carol,  who  had  been  sitting  with  her  chin  rest- 
ing on  one  hand,  her  elbow  on  the  table,  herself 
an  interested  listener,  answered  quickly :  "  In 
ten  minutes." 

"  Or  fifteen,"  supplemented  Ruby. 

"  I  jshall  have  to  run  down  to  the  office  first ; 
but  I'll  be  back,  unless  things  are  going  wrong,  in- 
side an  hour.  If  I  find  I  can't  get  away,  I'll  tele- 
phone, and  Steve  can  take  you." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  you  can  go,  Charles,"  said  his  wife. 
"  It  will  be  lots  more  fun." 

"  Thank  —  you"  With  this  he  arose  from  the 
table  and  others  followed  suit,  scattering  as  plans 
necessitated. 

"  You  are  quite  sure  you  won't  be  the  least  bit 


THE  MACHINE  115 

lonely,  auntie,"  asked  Carol,  solicitously,  as, 
dressed  for  the  ride,  she  encountered  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda  walking  up  and  down  the  front  piazza. 
Carol  looked  gay  and  happy  in  her  auto  coat  of 
blue  cloth,  a  long  hue  veil  knotted  deftly  at  her 
chin. 

The  old  lady  stopped  and  faced  her.  "  No, 
don't  mind  me.  I'm  yewsed  tew  bein'  alone. 
When  I  want  tew  see  folks,  they're  never  fur  away, 
an'  strangers  aire  frequently  sociable.  I've  met 
some  rael  nice  folks,  jest  by  introdewcin'  myself. 
I've  met  'em  up  et  Westlake  Park  sence  I  come  here. 
A  few  said  they  wuz  Methodists  and  one  woman 
told  me  she  wuz  a  Baptist.  Most  perfessers  of 
religion  aire  a  desunt  sort,  ef  they  live  anyways 
nigh  up  tew  their  perfesshun ;  an'  I  never  make  it 
a  p'int  tew  suspicion  'em,  till  I  hear  suthin'  teW 
their  disadvantage,  er  see  suthin'  which  looks  con- 
vincin'.  One  o'  my  sisters  married  a  Baptist 
preacher.  She  wuz  a  Methodist;  but  she  went  an' 
got  dipped  after  she  wuz  engaged,  an'  neow  she 
thinks  there's  nobuddy  like  a  Baptist.  I  guess 
she's  right.  I  never  see  nobuddy  else  quite  like 
'em,  myself."  Sitting  in  a  porch  rocker,  Aunt 
Lucinda  folded  her  hands  complacently,  as  she 
questioned :  "  I  hope  yeou  aire  a  believer, 
Carol?  " 

"  A  believer?  "  This  was  spoken  interroga- 
tively, because  the  designation  brought  to  Carol's 
mind  the  diversity  of  opinions  regarding  what 
actually  constitutes  a  believer  in  religion,  and  was 


116  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

followed  by  her  own  definition,  given  with  an  im- 
plication of  anticipated  doubt  on  the  part  of  her 
companion.  "  God  is  Love,  God  is  Good.  If  it  is 
simply  believing  in  love  and  goodness,  I  am." 

"  Wall,  that's  a  part  on't.  But  yeou  sh'u'd  be- 
lieve, tew,  that  yeou're  a  poor  sinful  creetur',  an' 
that  yeou  ken  never  save  yeourself,  no  matter  what 
yeou  dew." 

"  I  believe  with  the  Elder  Brother,  that  I  was 
made  in  the  image  of  my  Father,  and  that  in  my 
spiritual  nature,  I  am  good  and  beautiful,  like 
Him.  Sin, —  or  error, —  is  all  in  the  carnal  way 
of  thinking.  I  try  not  to  believe  in  it  at  all." 

"  Not  to  believe  there's  any  sm?  "  was  the 
shocked  inquiry. 

"  I  have  no  faith  in  the  reality  of  evil,  for  I  be- 
lieve that  God  is  all, —  and  He  is  good." 

"  Then  where's  the  yewse  of  hevin'  any  plan  of 
salvation?  " 

"  We  needed  someone  to  show  us  a  way  out  of 
unbelief  and  fear,  and  to  set  us  a  lovely  example 
of  right  living.  Don't  you  think  so,  auntie  ? " 
urged  Carol.  "  And  don't  you  remember,  He  told 
us  not  to  be  afraid?  Fear  is  error." 

"  *  The  —  way  —  eout  —  of  —  unbelief  —  and 
—  fear,'  "  repeated  the  old  lady,  as  if  a  strange  and 
awesome  light  were  dazzling  her  mental  vision ;  then 
recovering  herself,  she  said :  "  Dew  yeou  mean  tew 
say  yeou  ain't  afeerd  o'  nothin'  ?  " 

"  Certainly !  Why  should  I  be  afraid  of  noth- 
ing? It  really  hasn't  any  power,  any  more  than 


THE  MACHINE  117 

darkness  after  the  sun  has  gone  down.  It's  just 
an  absence  of  something.  Don't  you  see  ?  —  en- 
tirely negative." 

"  And  ain't  yeou  afeerd  of  an  automobile,  when 
it  goes  gallivantin'  among  the  street  keers  and  sech 
like?" 

"  No,  auntie,  I'm  not  afraid,  because  as  I  said, 
there's  nothing  in  God's  world  to  be  afraid  of." 

"  Ain't  yeou  afeerd  there'll  be  an  earthquake 
while  yeou're  here?  " 

"  No,  auntie." 

"  Wall,  there's  liable  tew  be,  an'  what  w'u'd 
yeou  dew  ef  there  wuz  one?  " 

"  I  would  try  to  remember  that  God  is  here,  and 
He  is  all." 

"  Wall,  I  never.  What  be  yeou,  anyheow, — 
one  o'  them  'ere  Christian  Scientists  ?  " 

"  Just  a  believer,  I  think,"  laughed  Carol. 

"  Wall,  I  s'pose  yeou'll  admit  yeou  dew  wrong, 
sometimes.  Ain't  yeou  afeerd  of  bein'  punished?  " 

"  No,  for  I  do  not  wish  to  do  wrong,  and  God 
looks  at  the  intention,  not  the  act." 

"  Humph !  I  guess  I'll  go  an'  get  on  my  shawl 
an'  bunnit  an'  ride  along  with  yeou  in  Charles's 
automobile.  Ef  a  young  thing  like  yeou  ain't 
afeerd  o'  nothin',  an  old  woman  like  me  shouldn't 
be  nuther." 

With  these  words  solemnly  spoken,  Mrs.  Dob- 
bins arose  from  the  rocker,  and  Carol,  taking  her 
arm  with  a  hearty :  "  I'm  awfully  glad,  auntie," 
helped  her  upstairs,  calling  out  midway  to  Mrs. 


118  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Morley :  "  Aunt  Lucinda's  going,  Mrs.  Morley. 
We'll  be  ready  in  a  minute ! " 

The  hostess  lifted  her  hands  in  involuntary 
amazement,  as  she  thought :  "  That  girl !  She 
can  do  anything  with  anybody !  "  To  Carol  she 
called  back:  "Good!  We'll  have  a  jolly  time." 

Mr.  Morley  was  also  astonished  when  the  ladies 
appeared  at  the  curb ;  Aunt  Lucinda  following 
Carol  and  looking  almost  as  stylish  as  that  young 
lady,  as  Carol  had  fastened  another  long  veil  over 
the  dull  bonnet  and  tied  a  natty  bow  at  the  chin, 
similar  to  that  in  her  own. 

"  You  going,  after  all  those  protestations, 
aunt?  "  asked  her  grandnephew. 

"  Yes,  I'm  a  goin'.  I  can't  be  eoutdone  by  a 
chit  of  a  girl  in  trustin'  Proverdunce." 

"  How's  that?     Won  you  over,  did  she?  " 

"  Yes,  she  won  me  over.  She  says  there  ain't 
nothin'  in  God's  world  tew  be  afeerd  on,  an'  I'm 
goin'  tew  take  her  word  fer  it,  this  time.  The 
Bible  tells  us  tew  prove  all  things,  an'  I'm  goin' 
a  provin'." 

"  You  are  in  for  it  now,  sure,"  said  Mr.  Morley 
aside  to  Carol,  with  a  look  of  combined  amusement 
and  admiration. 

"  I'm  not  afraid,"  iterated  the  girl. 

Down  Seventh  Street,  with  its  smooth  paving, 
they  rode  to  Broadway,  Mr.  Morley  himself  steer- 
ing the  motor.  Aunt  Lucinda  sat  meekly  in  the 
tonneau  between  Carol  and  Mrs.  Morley,  who  en- 
gaged her  attention  in  objects  of  interest  which 


THE  MACHINE  119 

they  passed.  The  quiet,  swiftly  gliding  car,  with 
little  to  obstruct,  gave  small  cause  for  anxiety, 
and  the  country-bred  woman  acknowledged  that  it 
was  like  coasting  on  the  Bolton  hills,  in  her 
younger  days. 

"  We  yewsed  tew  take  a  sleigh,  neow  an'  then, 
on  a  moonlit  night,  an'  one  of  the  boys  w'u'd  steer 
on  a  '  bob.'  We'd  go  fer  a  mile  deown  one  hill 
after  anuther,  a  bumpin'  over  the  hummicks,  an' 
callin'  it  fun." 

"Ever  take  a  header?"  asked  Phil,  overhear- 
ing. 

"  Wall,  neow,  I  can't  say  't  I  know  what  a 
header  is ;  but  I  never  happuned  tew  meet  with  no 
se'rous  accerdunts,"  she  admitted.  "  Joe  Mur- 
rill,  one  of  eour  neighbors,  got  his  leg  broke  one 
winter.  His  sled  bumped  an'  he  riz  right  up  in 
the  air  and  fell  headlong  ag'in'  a  tree." 

"  It's  a  wonder  it  didn't  break  his  head  instead 
of  his  leg,"  returned  Phil. 

"  He  wuz  sort  of  a  wooden  head  anyway. 
Mebbe  that's  why  it  took  his  leg,"  she  croaked: 
"  He  needed  a  wooden  one  tew  match." 

"Pretty  nearly  all  wooden  then,  wasn't  he? 
Poor  fellow,"  he  said  as  they  turned  on  Broad- 
way. 

"  Neow  we're  a  comin'  tew  Bedlam,"  she  ob- 
served. *'  Streetkeers  a  runnin'  ev'ry  which  way 
—  an' —  Fer  mercy's  sake !  What  dew  yeou  call 
that  thing  that  jest  went  by?  " 

"  A  motorcycle,  aunt,"  said  Mrs,  Morley. 


120  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  It's  turrible  rackety.  I  never  see  one  afore, 
though  I  s'pose  they  hev  'em  over  tew  Rockville, 
and  mebbe  Hartford." 

Another  moment,  she  cried :  "  Wall,  we  come 
mighty  nigh  runnin'  intew  that  'ere  team,"  and 
glancing  behind :  "  There's  a  car  a  comin'  right 
ontew  us,  Ida  —  Dew  make  Charles  —  Dew  make 
him  get  eout  o'  this  'ere  track !  "  With  this  she 
tightly  closed  her  lips,  held  herself  rigid,  with  the 
exception  of  her  eyes,  which  she  turned  from  side 
to  side,  to  view  every  possible  opportunity  for  a 
collision. 

"  What  a  fine  driver  Mr.  Morley  is,"  said  Carol, 
soothingly ;  "  so  skillful  in  making  stops  and  short 
turns." 

"  Yes,  he  always  keeps  his  head,"  answered  Mrs. 
Morley,  "  and  he's  quick  to  '  catch  on.'  I  always 
feel  safe  when  he  is  driving." 

It  seemed  impossible  for  Mrs.  Dobbins  to  relax 
a  muscle  until  the  party  were  well  out  on  the  Pasa- 
dena Boulevard,  and  were  skimming  past  the 
avenues,  where,  clustered  among  the  hills  and  sur- 
rounded by  bloom,  were  numerous  dwellings,  rang- 
ing in  magnitude  from  the  small  bungalow  to  the 
more  ornate  mansion. 

"  Now  you  are  glad  you  came,  aren't  you, 
auntie  ?  "  questioned  Carol. 

"  I  ain't  got  the  proof  yet.  I'm  waitin',"  was 
the  answer. 

Almost  immediately,  was  heard  a  "  BANG  — 
WHIZZ  —  whirr  —  r-r-r  — !  " 


THE  MACHINE  121 

"Land  o*  livin'!"  she  ejaculated.  Her  face 
paled,  and  her  thin  lips  instinctively  fell  apart. 

"  We  are  not  hurt,  auntie,  nor  shall  we  be," 
was  Carol's  calm  response. 

Mr.  Morley  stopped  the  car  and  the  men  got 
out.  They  discovered  a  puncture, —  a  long,  rusty 
nail  had  been  inserted  into  one  of  the  heavy  rubber 
tires.  Just  how  it  could  have  happened  was  not 
easily  explained. 

"  Wall,  I'm  glad  I  shan't  feel  obleeged  tew  hold 
fast  tew  it.  It's  be'n  proved  an'  it  ain't  tew  be 
trusted,"  said  Aunt  Lucinda,  decisively.  "  I  knew 
a'most  heow  it  w'u'd  turn  eout,  afore  we  started. 
Neow,  young  lady,"  addressing  Carol,  "  don't  tell 
me  ag'in,  nuthin'  can't  hurt  yeou !  Yeou  might 
hev  be'n  blown  tew  atoms,  an'  then  where'd  yeou 
hev  be'n?  I  sh'ud  jest  like  tew  know!  " 

"  Possibly  I  should  have  been  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  enter  another  sphere,  and  ride  in  a 
chariot  of  fire,  like  Elijah." 

"  A  chariot  of  fire !  "  repeated  the  old  lady,  in 
a  subdued  tone.  "  Dew  yeou  s'pose  'twuz  anythin' 
like  this  one?  Ef  'twuz,  I  hope  I  won't  hev  tew 
ride  in  one.  I'd  ruther  be  kerried  by  the  angels, 
ez  Lazarus  wuz." 

As  repairs  would  consume  some  time,  and  Syca- 
more Grove  was  near  by,  Mr.  Morley  suggested 
that  the  ladies  wait  there,  or  visit  the  Southwest 
Museum  on  the  hill  opposite.  "  It's  quite  a  climb, 
but  if  you  like  to  look  at  skulls  and  Indian  relics, 
it  might  pay  you,"  he  said. 


122  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Marshall  and  the  young  ladies  decided  upon  the 
museum, —  he  "  to  assist  in  the  climb,"  he  said. 
Phil  remained  to  aid  Mr.  Morley,  and  Mrs.  Morley 
with  Aunt  Lucinda  wandered  into  the  grove  where, 
in  the  shade  of  the  beautiful,  old  trees,  with  beds 
of  bright  blossoms  in  evidence,  they  sat  down  on  a 
rustic  bench  to  rest. 

"  It's  rael  sort  o'  peaceful  here,"  said  Aunt 
Lucinda,  at  length. 

"  Yes,  we  might  come  over  some  other  day  and 
bring  our  lunch,"  answered  her  hostess.  "  Yonder 
is  a  stone  fire-place  for  making  coffee,"  and, — 
sympathetically, — "  we  could  ride  over  on  the  trol- 
ley if  you  preferred." 

"  Wall,  I  dun'no',"  she  reflected ;  and  appar- 
ently, with  Carol  on  her  mind,  she  said :  "  Dew 
yeou  s'pose  that  girl  ain't  raelly  afeerd  o'  nothin', 
er  is  she  jest  a  try  in'  tew  put  on?  " 

"  I  think  she  isn't  the  least  bit  of  a  hypocrite, 
and  she  is  strong  in  an  emergency.  A  splendid 
girl,  I  call  her." 

"  Wall,"  with  a  sigh,  "  I  wouldn't  mind  hevin' 
a  leetle  more  faith  in  human  natur'  myself;  but 
I've  seen  tew  much  of  it  tew  bank  anyways  heavy 
on't.  A  good  deal  of  it  'pears  tew  me  tew  be  like 
the  Pharisee's  cup  an'  platter." 


CHAPTER  XIII 
ON,  TO  SAN  GABRIEL 

When  the  car  was  again  in  readiness  for  travel, 
it  was  nearly  noon. 

"  We  shall  lunch  in  Pasadena,  as  we  planned,  I 
think,"  said  Mr.  Morley  to  the  reassembled  party, 
and  to  his  aunt :  "  We  would  have  you  a  regular 
auto-fiend,  Aunt  Lucinda,  give  you  the  speed  craze 
in  a  few  weeks  so  you  wouldn't  feel  satisfied  to  ride 
less  than  twenty  miles  an  hour." 

"  Humph !  I  guess  so,"  was  the  incredulous  re- 
joinder, as  with  labored  motion  she  seated  her- 
self once  more  in  the  tonneau. 

After  luncheon  at  one  of  the  large  hostelries 
in  the  "  Crown  City,"  the  ride  extended  over 
beautiful  drives,  and  like  thousands  previously, 
these  happy  tourists  gave  ecstatic  praise  to  the 
rare  and  commanding  scenery,  Aunt  Lucinda  fail- 
ing, in  spite  of  her  prejudices,  to  be  an  exception. 

Not  far  from  the  splendid  Orange  Grove  Avenue, 
they  turned  to  view  the  "  Sunken  Gardens." 

"  Ef  I  could  feel  paid  fer  comin',  this  'ere  w'u'd 
pritty  nigh  pay  me,"  she  confessed.  "  That  'ere 
grass  looks  jest  like  silk  plush;  an'  I  w'u'dn't 
mind  hevin'  a  spread  of  it  on  my  front  yard  in 

Bolton."     A    little    further    on,    she    questioned: 
123 


THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  What  dew  yeou  call  that  'ere  vine,  a  runnin'  over 
that  heouse,  yender,  Ida?  I  never  did  see  sech  a 
vine  fer  flowerin'  an'  clamberin'." 

"  That  is  a  bougainvillea." 

"  A  boganvilye !  Wall  I  dew  declare,  and  them 
roses !  Why  they're  a  spreadin'  all  over  that  'ere 
wall.  I  believe  I  never  see  nuthin'  so  han'some." 

"  Those  are  the  pink  Cherokee  roses,  and  they 
are  among  our  prettiest,"  said  Mrs.  Morley. 

"  There's  another  rosevine  of  a  different  sort, 
auntie,  over  on  the  pretty  bungalow,"  exclaimed 
Carol.  "Talk  of  climbers!  They  beat  'Jack 
and  his  bean  stalk,'  don't  they  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  sartinly  dew !  " 

"  The  big  poinsettias  take  my  eye,"  said  Mar- 
shall :  "  I  tell  you,  Phil,  folks  in  New  England 
who  haven't  seen  California  have  a  crude  idea  of 
the  way  things  look, —  at  least,  I  know  I  had." 

"  Well,  well,  old  man,  you're  waking  up ! 
Changed  your  mind  about  information  found 
tucked  away  on  the  bookshelves  of  the  Boston  li- 
braries, eh?  "  answered  Phil,  slapping  his  friend 
good-naturedly  on  the  knee. 

"  The  books  are  all  right,  but  none  but  a  poet 
could  imagine  the  reality,  even  with  their  help." 

"  We  are  going  to  Alhambra,  now,"  said  Mr. 
Morley,  "  and  I  want  you  to  notice  the  trees  in 
this  drive,  and  before  long  we'll  show  you  some 
orange  groves,  blossoms  and  oranges  on  the  same 
trees.  California  brides  may  have  their  wreaths 
for  the  picking." 


ON,  TO  SAN  GABRIEL  125 

"  And  husbands,  too?  "  asked  Carol,  with  so  de- 
mure a  face  that  Phil  laughed  aloud. 

"  Husbands  are  as  plentiful  as  oranges,"  de- 
clared Mr.  Morley.  "  Take  your  choice,  but  don't 
get  one  overripe.  One  somewhat  green  will  give 
better  satisfaction  in  the  end.  He'll  last  longer, 
and  will  bear  packing  and  shipping  better,  you 
know." 

"  Thank  you !  I'll  be  particular  then  to  select 
one  that  is  a  little  green,"  she  replied,  smiling, 
"  one  I  can  stand  in  the  sun  and  see  ripen." 

"  And  when  he  is  quite  ripe,  how  will  you  treat 
him?"  asked  Marshall,  jocosely. 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  for  him  to  decide.  I  mustn't 
be  too  dictatorial." 

"  The  trees  seem  tew  be  all  a  buddin'  an'  a  blos- 
somin'  tew,  like  the  rose  bushes.  Dew  yeou  hev 
any  kind  of  vegertation  here  that  don't  bear  no 
blossoms  ?  "  inquired  Aunt  Lucinda,  ignoring  the 
young  people's  chaffing. 

"  Very  few  things,  aunt,"  answered  her  hostess. 

"  The  only  things  I  can  think  of  are  cigar- 
stumps,"  called  back  Mr.  Morley. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  so."  The  old  lady  smiled  grimly, 
as  she  added :  "  They're  all  blowed  eout,  ain't 
they?" 

At  San  Gabriel  Mission,  the  party  left  the  car 
and  went  through  the  building,  viewing  the  dim, 
old  paintings ;  the  well-preserved  figures  of  saints, 
and  of  the  Virgin  and  Child ;  the  quaint,  old  altar ; 
the  baptismal  font,  and  the  remaining  bells  of  an 


126  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

ancient  chime  brought  from  Spain  in  the  long  ago. 
Each  dropped  coins  into  the  hands  of  a  guide,  for 
the  benefit  of  the  mission. 

"  It's  about  time  for  the  play  to  begin,"  said 
Mr.  Morley,  consulting  his  watch.  "  Now  if  you 
would  rather  not  go  in,  aunt,  there  is  plenty  to  be 
seen  outside.  There  was  an  old  grape  vine  near 
here,  I  remember,  sometime  ago,  I  presume  it's 
here  yet.  It  had  a  trunk  like  a  huge  tree,  and  the 
branches  spread  over  thousands  of  square  feet. 
I  was  told  the  grapes  it  bore  in  one  season  would 
weigh  several  tons.  Then  there's  an  old  burying 
ground  somewhere  about,  and  the  souvenir  shops 
over  across,  where  you  can  get  clay  water  bottles 
and  jugs  and  things,  pottery,  they  call  it,  made  by 
the  Indians,  or  Indian  baskets  of  all  sorts,  big  and 
little.  You'll  want  to  take  something  of  the  kind 
home  to  Mary,  I  suppose.  Anyway,  it  should  in- 
terest you,  and  when  you  get  tired,  just  take  a  seat 
in  the  car." 

"  Wall,  I  thank  yeou,  an'  mebbe  I'll  look  areound 
a  spell,  an'  mebbe  I'll  take  a  notion  tew  go  in  an' 
see  fer  myself  heow  them  old  mission  fathers  acted 
when  they  wuz  tryin'  tew  convert  the  natives.  I 
s'pose  likely  they'll  look  *  ez  big  ez  life  an'  twice 
ez  nat'ral,'  pictered  eout  on  the  stage." 

"They're  all  right,  I  tell  you,"  affirmed  the 
host.  "  I  read  somewhere,  just  lately,  that  out  of 
twenty-three  thousand  population  at  one  time, 
there  were  about  eighteen  thousand  Indian  con- 
verts. That's  going  some!  I  rather  think  it 


ON,  TO  SAN  GABRIEL  127 

would  run  Billy  Sunday  a  pretty  close  second. 
Eh,  aunt?" 

"  Billy  Sunday !  Accordin'  tew  the  papers,  a 
good  deal  of  his  talk  comes  pritty  nigh  tew 
blasphemy." 

"  Perhaps  he  doesn't  say  quite  all  the  papers 
make  out;  but  anyhow,  we  must  give  him  credit 
for  putting  some  mighty  tough  old  reprobates, 
that  most  folks  couldn't  tackle,  on  the  upgrade. 
A  good  many  stay  put,  too." 

"  Wall,  mebbe  they  dew.  I'm  no  jedge,  but  I'd 
ruther  hear  some  good,  eddicated,  Methodist 
preacher,  myself." 

All  but  Aunt  Lucinda  entered  the  theatre  at  the 
hour  of  opening.  Turning  to  look  back,  near  the 
close  of  the  first  act,  Mrs.  Morley  espied  her  eld- 
erly guest,  gazing  with  rapt  interest  at  the  stage. 

At  the  close  of  the  play,  Phil  overtook  Aunt 
Lucinda  walking  toward  the  Morley  car. 

"  Well,  how  did  you  like  it,  auntie?  "  he  asked. 

"  It  might  be  wuss.  Ef  it  hadn't  'a'  be'n  abeout 
missionaries,  I  sh'u'dn't  'a'  gone  in.  I  don't  want 
yeou  tew  think  I'd  keowtenunce  a  common  the- 
atre." 

"  There  are  a  good  many  plays  as  interesting 
and  instructive,  I  think  you  would  find,  and  preach 
a  sermon  that  sets  people  to  thinking  about  the 
wrongs  that  should  be  righted." 

"  Wall,  I  dun'no'  —  I  dun'no'.  I'm  most  tew 
old  tew  learn  new  tricks.  I've  proved  the  old  ways, 
an'  I  think  they  can't  be  bettered  much." 


188  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

They  had  left  San  Gabriel  at  a  distance,  and 
Mr.  Morley  had  been  watching  with  the  keen  in- 
terest of  a  lover  of  the  sport,  the  smooth  running 
of  the  car  over  the  boulevard. 

"What  do  you  think  of  this  for  a  drive?"  he 
asked,  turning  his  head  and  looking  at  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda  for  an  instant. 

"  I'd  like  it  ef  I  felt  ez  safe  ez  I  dew  drivin'  my 
old  white  hoss.  I'd  feel  a  little  safer  ridin'  this 
way,  ef  there  wuz  a  track  tew  hold  the  gearin' 
deown,  kinder,  like  the  steamkeers  hev." 

"  I  think  we're  having  a  splendid  time  and  are 
making  a  magnificent  run,  Mr.  Morley,"  said  Carol, 
and  asked :  "  Will  you  let  me  drive  sometime  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  if  you  think  you  can  do  it,  I  think  so 
too." 

"  Oh,  thank  you  !  " 

"  She  can  drive  all  right,"  volunteered  Ruby, 
**  I've  ridden  with  her  at  the  wheel  in  Denver. 
She  drives  a  big  car  like  this  one.  The  last  time 
we  went,  there  were  eight  girls  of  us,  and  we  got 
along  fine." 

"And  you,  do  you  do  that?"  asked  Marshall 
of  Ruby. 

"  No.  Father  won't  allow  me  to.  Mother  and 
I  have  an  electric  that  we  drive.  But  I  would 
drive  a  touring  car  if  I  might.  I'm  not 
afraid." 

"  Let's  race  'em  some  day,"  said  Phil  to  Ruby, 
with  a  confident  smile.  He  himself  was  an  expert 
also. 


ON,  TO  SAN  GABRIEL  129 

"  Oh,  will  you  ?  "  Carol's  enthusiasm  gave  a  leap, 
and  her  eyes  were  like  stars  beneath  the  blue  veil. 

"  Yes,  sure,"  agreed  Phil. 

Mrs.  Morley  laughed,  while  Aunt  Lucinda  tried 
to  think  of  something  sufficiently  concise  to  express 
her  disapproval  of  "  female  chauffeurs." 

"  When  shall  it  come  off?  "  asked  Carol  of  Phil. 

"  Anytime, —  to-morrow,  if  you  say  so, —  pro- 
vided we  can  find  a  road  where  speeding  isn't  *  un- 
der the  ban.'  " 

"  I've  learned  everything  about  a  car,  from  tire 
to  starter.  I  went  down  to  the  shops  and  made 
it  a  study,  so  father  says  he  would  be  willing  to 
trust  me  anywhere  with  one,  so  long  as  I  would 
keep  to  the  traveled  roads,  and  not  try  to  scour 
canyons,  or  climb  mountains  where  there  isn't  any 
trail,  or  swim  swollen  streams  —  or  — " 

"  Cross  the  ocean  on  a  whale's  back?  "  sug- 
gested Phil. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Carol. 

"  Wall,  I  never !  "  exclaimed  Aunt  Lucinda,  at 
length  able  to  get  in  a  word :  "  What  won't  yeou 
young  folks  think  of  next?  It's  bad  enough  when 
a  man  is  steerin',  an'  ef  a  chit  uv  a  girl  gets  a  hold 
o'  the  wheel,  in  my  jedgment,  she'll  be  a  stakin' 
her  life  on  a  turrible  resky  prepersition.  Ef  they 
took  a  notion  tew  buck,  where'd  yeou  be,  I  won- 
der? " 

"  Right  at  the  wheel,  auntie,"  was  the  cheery 
answer.  "  Oh,  I  can  steer !  You  mustn't  worry 
about  me." 


130  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Ef  yeou  wuz  my  girl,  I'm  afeered  I  wouldn't 
hev  a  minute's  peace  uv  my  life." 

"  Do  you  honestly  think  I'm  such  a  terror?  " 

"  Humph !  Sort  o'  careless  like,  seems  tew  me. 
Yeou  don't  place  enough  value  on  yeourself." 

"  Oh,—  that— " 

"  She  doesn't  need  to,  auntie.  The  rest  of  us 
will  do  that  for  her.  She  is  a  trump !  "  was  Phil's 
verdict,  and  Carol  looked  at  him  gratefully. 

"  Wall,  I've  gi'n  yeou  fair  warnin',"  replied  the 
old  lady,  circumspectly,  "  so  neow  I  shan't  be  tew 
blame  ef  yeou  get  yeour  necks  broke.  In  my 
opinion,  yeou've  no  bus'ness  a  losin'  yeour  heads," 
—  and  she  could  not  refrain  from  adding, — "  nor 
yeour  hearts  nuther,  in  a  reckless  manner." 

"  Mine  has  already  been  lost  and  found  a  good 
many  times,  I  think,"  said  Carol.  "  The  last  time 
I  lost  it, —  my  heart,  I  mean, —  was  when  I 
*  flunked  in  trig.'  " 

"  What's  that?  '  Flunked  in  trig?  '  "  was  the 
astonished  inquiry,  from  the  lips  of  Aunt  Lucinda. 
She  believed  that  the  girl  Avas  making  light  of  her 
serious  admonitions ;  but  Carol  meant  no  harm. 
She  felt  like  snatching  the  elder  woman's  prejudices 
with  a  merry  tug  and  tossing  them  to  the  winds 
of  oblivion,  if  that  were  possible.  But  noticing 
that  she  was  giving  vent  to  considerable  feeling 
by  twitching  the  knot  in  her  veil  as  if  it  were  chok- 
ing her,  Carol  took  the  withered  hand,  with  its  cov- 
ering of  lisle  thread,  in  her  own,  and  explained: 

"  That  is  a  phrase  we  use  at  school,  auntie,  and 


ON,  TO  SAN  GABRIEL  131 

means  failure  to  pass  in  examination.  I  meant 
that  I  failed  to  pass  in  trigonometry,  and  that  it 
rather  disheartened  me  for  a  little  while, —  not  for 
long,  for  the  springs  inside  bobbed  up  and  sent  me 
'  kiting.'  That  is,  begging  your  pardon,  away 
up  into  the  optimistic  regions.  I'm  naturally 
lively  and  jolly,  don't  you  know?  " 

"  So  that's  it?  Wall,  it  beats  me.  Ichabod 
Simmons's  Jared  missed  pritty  nigh  all  the  ques- 
tions put  tew  him,  when  he  wuz  examined  fer  a 
teacher's  certif 'kit,  in  eour  teownship ;  but  I  never 
heerd  nobuddy  say  he  flunked.  Folks  kinder 
pitied  him,  though,  fer  he'd  be'n  a  steddyin'  up 
fer  months.  But  here  we  be,  a  comin'  tew  the 
biz'ness  deestrict  ag'in.  I  dew  hope  we  won't  hev 
anuther  breakdown !  " 

"  Are  you  sure  the  tires  are  all  right  now," 
asked  Mrs.  Morley  of  her  husband,  for  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda's  benefit. 

"  Strong?  Why  they  are  as  strong  as  old- 
fashioned  theology,"  he  answered,  decisively. 

"  An'  jest  tew  think,  a  nail  punched  a  hole  in 
one  of  'em  in  half  a  minute,  this  mornin' !  "  re- 
joined Aunt  Lucinda. 

"  That  was  unusual,"  said  Phil. 

"  We've  never  had  it  happen  before,"  asserted 
Mrs.  Morley. 

When  at  last  the  old  lady  descended  from  the 
"  machine  "  at  the  Morley  home,  she  looked  tired 
and  worried,  and  said  to  Carol :  "  I  can't  never 
learn  tew  like  automobiles,  tew  please  nobuddy ;  an' 


132  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

ef  yeou  young  folks  aire  a  goin'  a  racin'  in  'em, 
I  don't  want  tew  know  nuthin'  abeout  it,  till  it's 
all  over." 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  sorry,  auntie !  I  think  we  shall 
have  to  give  up  the  race;  the  torment  you  would 
endure  if  you  suspected  we  were  going  would  more 
than  balance  the  fun  we  might  get  out  of  it.  It 
wouldn't  be  worth  while." 

"  Dew  yeou  mean  tew  say  yeou'd  give  it  up  tew 
spare  my  feelin's?  " 

"Surely,"  nodded  Carol.  "I  couldn't  feel 
happy  if  I  knew  you  were  miserable ;  so  you  see 
I'm  a  bit  selfish,  after  all." 

"  Dew  yeou  raelly  mean  yeou'll  give  it  up  ?  " 

"  Certainly !  Why  not  ?  "  asked  Carol,  amused 
at  her  earnestness,  and  persistent  doubts. 

"  Wall,"  was  the  reply,  "  ef  yeou  dew  give  it 
up,  yeou're  a  likelier  girl  than  I  thought  yeou 
wuz.  I  guess  mebbe  yeou'd  make  a  pritty  good 
Methodist,  ef  yeou'd  leave  off  some  o'  yeour  fancy 
fixin's  an'  dress  plain." 

Phil  shook  his  head  dubiously,  as  he  walked  into 
the  house  beside  the  girl. 

"  Isn't  it  robbing  Peter  to  pay  Paul?  "  he  said, 
with  a  smile  at  the  bright  upturned  face. 

"  I'll  pay  Peter  some  other  way,  this  time,"  she 
answered. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
AN  «  AT  HOME  " 

"  I  suppose  you  men  folks  had  no  end  of  sport 
poking  around  those  La  Brea  Pits  this  morning. 
And  did  you  find  any  more  mammoth  skeletons? 
Those  at  the  Park  Museum  are  perfectly  wonder- 
ful," said  Mrs.  Morley  to  Phil  and  Marshall  on 
their  return  from  those  places  of  interest. 

"  A  remarkable  find,"  assented  Marshall.  "  I'm 
glad  I  saw  the  spot  where  they  were  discovered, 
though  we  didn't  try  our  hands  at  digging  for 
more." 

"  I  want  to  engage  you  and  Phil  to  help  do  the 
honors  at  our  '  At  Home  '  this  afternoon,"  she 
continued.  "  I'll  have  Charles  drop  in,  too,  and 
there'll  be  other  men  of  your  acquaintance, —  Mr. 
'  Patsy,'  as  the  girls  call  him,  and  Dr.  Merriman. 
Isn't  he  the  j oiliest  man?  I  should  think  he  could 
cure  anyone  just  by  showing  his  beaming  face 
and  telling  them  how  well  they  are  getting  on. 
And  Mr.  Nicholson  seems  so  susceptible  to  nice 
people  and  pretty  things.  How  quickly  he  dis- 
covered the  graces  of  that  young  Virginia  girl. 
We  hope  to  see  her  here,  too,  and  her  mother." 

"  Thanks,  and  acceptance,"  they  agreed. 
133 


THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Carol  glanced  significantly,  meanwhile,  at  Ruby ; 
and  Phil,  noting  her  expression,  said :  "  I  sup- 
pose one  could  see  graces  in  the  bluebell,  if  de- 
prived of  the  rose." 

"  Are  you  the  rose,  Ruby  ?"  asked  Marshall, 
slyly,  and  Mrs.  Morley  looked  chagrined. 

"Did  I  make  a  blunder?  Pardon  it.  He's  a 
nice  man,  anyway,  and  bluebells  are  dear." 

"  There's  just  the  difference  that  one's  taste 
creates,"  he  acknowledged.  "  I  have  nothing, 
nothing  at  all  against  bluebells." 

Carol  would  not  add  further  to  Ruby's  em- 
barrassment, and  said  only :  "  If  it  were  not  for 
the  blessed  difference  in  tastes  some  of  the  sweet- 
est blossoms  would  go  *  a-begging.'  I  think  I  must 
belong  to  the  cacti  tribe, —  capricious,  thorny, 
pricking  conservative  people,  and  only  once  in 
awhile  flaming  out  in  a  really  brilliant  achievement, 
corresponding  to  the  scarlet  flower  on  the  hall 
tabouret." 

"  Like  that  of  winning  Aunt  Lucinda's  good- 
will, yesterday.  That  was  superbly  done,"  com- 
mended Phil. 

"  I  think  she  feels  I  am  continually  trying  to 
make  a  sieve  of  her  convictions." 

"  Convictions  that  can  be  punched  aren't  worth 
having,"  he  returned  as  Mr.  Morley  entered  the 
room. 

"Talking  science,  or  embroidery?"  he  asked, 
noticing  the  needlework  close  at  hand. 

"  Psychology,"  answered  his  wife,  "  as  applied 


AN  "  AT  HOME  "  135 

to  some  people  we  know.  But  it  is  lunch  time  and 
I  must  go  call  your  aunt." 

"  Let  me,  please,"  begged  Carol,  whirling 
away.  "  So  much  taffy  has  weakened  my  powers 
of  resistance,"  she  averred,  dimpling. 

As  she  mounted  the  stairway,  they  heard  her 
whistling  a  popular  air.  Mrs.  Dobbins  heard  her, 
also,  and  came  to  meet  her. 

"  '  A  whistling  girl  an'  a  crowin'  hen,'  "  she  pro- 
tested, not  unkindly. 

"  Oh,  I  know  they  used  to  say  that,  auntie ;  but 
they  don't  any  more.  They  have  whistling 
classes,  now,  don't  you  know,  and  some  of  the  girls 
in  our  crowd  in  Denver  whistle  delightfully.  It 
would  make  you  feel  as  if  you  were  soaring,  to  lis- 
ten." 

"  Can  they  beat  yeou  at  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  my,  yes,  by  a  long  way,"  laughed  Carol. 

"  Wall,  I  dun'no'.  I  sh'ud  want  tew  hear  'em 
afore  I  made  up  my  mind  they  c'u'd  beat  yeou." 

"  It's  a  fact,"  she  replied,  "  you  see  I  have  never 
taken  lessons  in  whistling.  But  the  folks  sent  me 
to  call  you  to  lunch.  I  want  to  show  you  the 
orchids,  first,  though,"  and  slipping  an  arm  around 
the  elder  lady's  waist,  as  if  she  were  a  cherished 
girl  friend,  she  led  her  to  the  living  room  table, 
where  the  choice  flowers  were  grouped  in  a  dainty 
basket. 

"  Aren't  they  perfectly  lovely,  auntie  ?  " 

"  Cur'us,  kinder,  ain't  they  ?  They  look  some 
like  eour  swamp  apple  blossoms,  back  East,"  and 


136  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

touching  her  nose  to  a  lilac-tinted  petal :  "  There 
ain't  much  smell  to  'em,  is  they  ?  "  she  concluded ; 
and  addressing  Mrs.  Morley :  "  What's  goin'  on, 
Ida,  that  yeour  trimmin'  up  so  ?  " 

"  Just  an  afternoon  at  home,  aunt, —  for  re- 
ceiving callers." 

"  Yeou  won't  mind  ef  I  don't  come  deown  tew 
meet  'em.  I  never  did  go  much  on  stylish  doin's, 
an'  I'd  ruther  stay  up  stairs." 

"  No,  I  shan't  mind,  if  you  are  comfortable," 
answered  the  hostess. 

Soon  after  three  o'clock,  p.  M.,  Mrs.  Doane,  the 
mother  of  little  Jamie,  arrived. 

Next,  came  the  Misses  Hendley,  in  a  taxi-cab. 
They  were  young  lady  students  at  a  school  of  ora- 
tory in  the  city,  and  were  prettily  gowned  in  white. 
Aunt  Lucinda  saw  them  from  the  front  balcony 
window,  and  commented :  "  They  look  kinder 
tasty  and  nice,  I  must  say." 

Two  little  girls,  also  in  white,  with  flaring,  white 
ribbon  bows,  like  butterfly  wings,  outspread  on 
their  braided  hair,  came  to  act  as  ushers,  and  Mrs. 
Morley  introduced  the  four  to  her  young  lady 
house-guests, —  Carol,  in  an  exquisite  creation  of 
white  lace  over  blue  charmeuse,  and  Ruby,  in  a 
similar  gown  of  pink,  which  contrasted  well  with 
her  own  of  spangled  black  net,  over  chiffon  and 
silk. 

A  limousine  rolled  up  the  driveway,  quickly  fol- 
lowing the  cab.  It  contained  four  ladies  and  a 
liveried  chauffeur.  Among  the  four  ladies  who 


AN  "  AT  HOME  "  137 

alighted,  the  watcher  at  the  balcony  window  no- 
ticed particularly  an  elderly  person  wearing  gray 
puffs  and  little  curls,  above  much  glossy  black  vel- 
vet, and  a  ruff  of  lace.  She  seemed  to  diffuse  the 
essence  of  aristocracy,  and  of  personal  dignity. 

Several  ladies  came  on  foot,  from  near-by  homes, 
gay  in  tailor-made  suits  of  elaborate  manufacture, 
in  silks  under  wonderful  opera  wraps, —  in  salmon- 
pinks  and  golden-browns,  sage-greens  and  Alice- 
blue, —  like  a  human  bouquet. 

"  Land  sakes ! "  was  the  exclamation  which 
silently  escaped  Aunt  Lucinda's  lips,  and  her 
thoughts  ran  on  this  wise :  "  I  never  did  see  sech 
a  lot  o'  fine  fixin's.  Why  they  beat  the  folks  that 
come  eout  frum  Hartford  tew  Creshy  Dale's  wed- 
din'.  I  thought  they  wuz  dressed  tol'able  smart, 
tew.  I  sh'u'd  think  some  of  these  'ere  women  had 
tried  tew  imertate  a  sunsettin'.  " 

A  little  later,  in  an  electric  phaeton,  came  an 
elderly  lady  with  a  sweet  face  and  wavy  white 
hair,  and  the  softest  of  gray  silk  gowns.  Her 
escort,  an  old  gentleman  in  black,  lifted  her  gently 
to  the  pavement  and  helped  her  up  the  steps  to  the 
cement  walk  on  the  lawn,  then  waving  his  hand  in 
adieu,  re-entered  the  phaeton,  and  rode  away. 

"  Neow  she's  a  rael  lady,"  decided  Aunt  Lu- 
cinda.  "  I  wonder  ef  Ida  asked  her  to  see  me. 
I'd  orter  go  deown." 

For  some  minutes  she  meditated  on  the  pru- 
dence of  changing  her  plans  about  remaining  up 
stairs;  but  the  longer  she  gazed  at  the  incoming 


138  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

stream  of  callers,  the  more  she  felt  convinced  that 
she  was  missing  something  unusual  in  her  life, 
and  that  she  might  regret  having  done  so  on  her 
return  to  New  England,  when  her  country 
acquaintance  should  call  to  talk  of  her  remark- 
able trip  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 

"  Mebbe  it's  my  dewty  tew  see  all  I  ken,  withe- 
out  committin'  sin,  fer  the  sake  of  my  Mary  an' 
the  rest.  Jimmie's  wife  w'u'd  jest  dote  on 
1'arnin'  heow  they  dress  in  Californy,  an'  so  w'u'd 
Ezry  Steeple's  wife  and  Aunt  Liddy  Hogan,  an' 
Dr.  Jared  Boyleses's  wife, —  she's  young,  yet, — 
and  then  there's  Samanthy  Daggett,  who's  be'n 
bedrid  fer  more'n  six  years.  Yes,  I  dew  believe 
I'd  orter  go  deown." 

One  of  the  Misses  Hendley  was  reading  when 
Aunt  Lucinda  appeared  in  her  black  henrietta 
gown,  the  white  crepe  shawl  and  cameo  pin. 

A  fleshy  woman  with  much-be  jeweled  fingers  that 
seemed  to  send  off  sparks  of  red  and  green  fire  as 
she  twirled  an  expensive  fan,  looked  up  at  the  ap- 
proaching figure  on  the  stairway,  while  in  laugh- 
ing mood.  Others  turned  their  heads  slightly, 
and  smiles  were  upon  all  faces. 

"  Wall,  I  guess  mebbe  I've  gone  an'  done  it, 
neow,"  thought  the  intruder,  stopping  suddenly 
in  her  dilemma  and  standing  stiffly,  and  very  erecty 
with  an  injured  air,  as  if  in  some  unaccountable 
way  she  had  provoked  the  laughter. 

The  reader  stood  near  one  of  the  large  pillars 
supporting  the  arch  between  living  room  and  recep- 


AN  "  AT  HOME  "  139 

tion  hall,  and  as  her  fresh  young  voice  mimicked 
that  of  an  antiquated  spinster  at  a  quilting  bee, 
where  gossip  was  the  order  of  the  day,  Mrs.  Dob- 
bins seemed  a  representative  of  that  very  class, — 
a  vivid  and  picturesque  illustration  of  the  function 
described. 

As  she  listened,  her  indignation  arose,  steadily, 
and  at  the  close,  when  laughter  and  applause  were 
at  their  height,  she  descended  to  the  hall  in  all  the 
dignity  of  an  outraged  matron,  sought  Mrs.  Mor- 
ley,  with  threatening  mien,  and  drawing  her  aside, 
whispered  the  excited  inquiry :  "  Did  yeou  know, 
Ida,  that  'ere  girl  wuz  a  goin'  tew  speak  that  piece 
afore  she  come?  " 

"  Why  no,  aunt.  I  asked  her  to  read  some- 
thing amusing,  and  she  made  her  own  selection." 

"  Well,  don't  yeou  think  it's  onladylike  tew 
mock  folks  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that  was  just  a  made-up  thing,  you  see, 
a  monologue.  It  wasn't  about  real  people." 

"  I  say  it  wuz  jest  like  old  Miss  Fitch!  I  c'u'd 
see  jest  heow  she  yewsed  tew  look,  ez  plain  ez  I  see 
yeou.  Why  'twuz  turrible!  Miss  Fitch  wuz  a 
gadder  an'  a  busybuddy ;  but  land  sakes  alive, 
she's  be'n  dead  this  ten  year,  an'  I  can't  bear  tew 
think  of  her  bein'  resurrected !  " 

Guests  were  pressing  close,  and  Mrs.  Morley 
with  a  "  Come,  aunt,  let  me  take  you  to  meet  Mrs. 
Graham, —  she's  the  dearest  old  lady,  just  as  dear 
as  can  be, — "  hurried  Mrs.  Dobbins  to  a  further 
corner  of  the  room,  where  sat  the  lady  in  the  soft 


140  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

gray  silk,  who  had  come  in  the  phaeton.     Aunt 
Lucinda  was  appeased. 

Carol  had  promised  to  sing,  and  seeing  this 
elderly  guest  safe  under  the  benevolent  oversight 
of  Mrs.  Graham,  Mrs.  Morley  reminded  Carol  of 
her  promise. 

With  Ruby  at  the  piano,  Carol  stood  awaiting 
the  prelude  to  a  song  of  "  Dreams."  Some  one 
raised  a  curtain,  thinking  to  give  the  accompanist 
more  light.  Sun  rays  stole  over  a  huge  rose-red 
rose  in  a  silver  vase,  and  points  of  light  flashed 
rainbow  hues  over  Carol's  blue-white  gown  and 
glinted  in  her  fluffy  hair.  Her  blue  eyes  held  un- 
wonted charm. 

Mrs.  Graham  said  softly  to  Mrs.  Dobbins: 
"  What  a  beautiful  girl !  I  am  sure  she  can  sing, 
by  her  looks." 

"  Yes,  she  ken.  She  ken  beat  any  young  thing 
I  ever  see  at  it;  an'  she's  rael  kind-hearted, 
though  yeou  wouldn't  expect  it  in  a  susciety  girl." 

"  I  know.  Her  face  discloses  her  character, 
too." 

But  Carol  was  singing.  A  few  who  were  be- 
ing served  to  frappe  in  the  den  left  their  glasses 
and  tiptoed  into  the  living  room.  Others,  taking 
tea  and  dainties  in  the  dining  room,  and  a  richly 
garbed  lady  who  poured,  became  immediately  si- 
lent. The  rich,  pure  soprano  voice,  floated 
through  the  rooms,  as  spontaneously  as  a  bird's 
in  the  open. 

An  encore  followed,  and  yet  another.     At  the 


AN  "  AT  HOME  " 

second  call,  she  sang  the  song  which  had  so 
pleased  Phil  on  a  previous  day,  not  knowing  that 
he,  with  Marshall  and  Mr.  Morley  had  entered. 

As  she  stood,  later,  receiving  praises,  sur- 
rounded by  a  persistent  group,  Phil  without  warn- 
ing came  near,  and  their  eyes  met.  It  was  like  a 
confession.  Carol  nodded  and  quickly  turned 
away  her  face.  Her  cheeks  were  the  color  of  the 
rose-red  rose  and  her  eyes  shone  like  veritable  soul- 
lights.  Those  who  talked  with  her  were  charmed 
by  her  beauty  and  her  enthusiasm.  She  seemed 
a  being  apart, —  a  wonder-girl, —  she  might  al- 
most have  dropped  into  their  midst  from  another 
sphere. 

It  was  several  minutes  before  opportunity  was 
given  Phil  to  speak  with  her.  By  that  time  she 
had  regained  her  self-possession.  He  had  been 
greeting  the  Denver  people,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Merri- 
man  and  Mr.  Winthrop.  In  the  rush  of  conversa- 
tion, he  said  low  to  Carol :  "  You  sang  a  little  bit 
ago  as  if  you  had  learned  the  secret  of  the  lilies 
and  tree  tops." 

She  was  glad  he  did  not  add :  "  Have  you  ? 
And  will  you  tell  it  to  me?  " 

"  I  was  sorry  I  wasn't  aware  of  your  coming  in. 
I  would  have  sung  something  else,"  she  said. 

"  Why  ?  "  he  questioned. 

"  One  tires  of  hearing  most  things  over  and 
over.  I  know  it  by  heart,  and  Ruby  could  play 
the  accompaniment  without  notes.  I  hoped  that 
to  some  of  the  guests,  at  least,  it  was  unfamiliar." 


142  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  It  sounded  better  to  me  this  afternoon  than  it 
did  the  last  time  I  heard  it,"  he  declared. 

She  looked  at  him  with  an  air  of  incredulity,  as 
Ruby  interposed :  "  Do  excuse  me,  but  Mrs. 
Morley  wants  the  quartette,  that  selection  we  gave 
at  the  serenade.  Marshall  has  consented." 

"  Shall  we  try  it?  "  Carol  asked  of  Phil. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  readily.  "  Go  ahead.  I'll 
help,"  and  as  Ruby  turned  away :  "  Do  you  care 
to  know  why  that  other  piece  sounded  better  to 
me  to-day?  "  he  asked  of  Carol. 

"  If  you  please,"  she  said. 

"  It  is  because  I  have  learned  more  of  the  singer 
and  her  motives." 

"  Oh,  thank  you !  Of  course  you  mean  that  to 
be  complimentary?  " 

"  Why  no,  not  exactly.  Just  a  little  credit  to 
my  own  comprehension.  You  haven't  changed." 

"  Ah,  I  see !  At  first  you  thought  my  vein  of 
humor  abnormal." 

"  Not  that,  either,  begging  your  pardon  for 
seeming  to  disagree  with  you  so  much.  But  I  have 
learned  better  to  distinguish  your  mirthful  from 
your  serious  moods." 

"  Don't  feel  too  sure,  Phil,"  she  laughed ;  but 
her  eyes  held  an  acquiescence  which  overbalanced 
her  command. 

When  the  quartette  were  released,  Carol  found 
herself  beside  Mr.  Nicholson.  He  had  been  one  to 
applaud  most  heartily. 


AN  "  AT  HOME  "  143 

"  You  folks  must  have  awfully  jolly  times  up 
here,"  he  said  to  her. 

"  We  do  have  good  times.  I  wish  you  and  Miss 
Tolmy  were  nearer." 

"  Miss  Tolmy  ?  She  is  a  right  nice  young  lady, 
but  quiet.  I  can  hardly  think  of  enough  to  say 
for  both  of  us." 

"  I  thought  you  were  getting  on  famously,  at 
the  picnic." 

"  Oh,  we  get  on,  you  know.  But  say,  Carol, 
tell  me  what  a  fellow  could  do  with  himself,  if 
time  were  to  drag  at  home?  Would  you  advise  a 
man  to  marry, —  provided  he  might, —  unless  he 
felt  sure  he  could  make  good  there?  I  don't  ap- 
prove of  a  married  man  seeking  solace  at  clubs, 
after  business  hours." 

"  Perhaps  the  young  lady  doesn't  feel  quite  at 
ease  with  you  on  such  short  acquaintance.  It 
may  be  there  is  some  embarrassment  on  her  part, 
I  mean." 

"  No.     It  isn't  that." 

"  Have  you  tried  sending  her  books  and 
flowers?  "  mischievously. 

"  Well,  no ;  but  I've  taken  her  to  shows  —  and 
-  Well,  I'm  sure  I'm  not  the  one  to  awaken 
'  Love's  young  dream  '  in  her  heart.  Perhaps  — 
because  — " 

"  Oh,  you  can't  tell  me,  Patsy.  I  know  al- 
ready, and  I  shall  not  breathe  the  secret  to  Ruby. 
But  you  are  doing  fine, —  just  splendid!" 


144  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  I  want  you  all  down  to  our  hotel  to-morrow 
evening.  I'm  getting  hungry  for  a  good  laugh," 
he  said,  abruptly. 

"  I  rather  think  we  will  all  go  down." 

"  Good !     I  shall  live  until  then." 

"  My  dear  man.  Is  it  so  bad  ?  "  and  Carol 
laughed  merrily  at  his  evident  seriousness. 
"  Cheer  up,  and  don't  lose  faith.  I  believe  it  will 
all  come  out  just  right!  " 

"  Carol,  I  want  you  to  meet  my  friend  Mrs. 
Wallaber  and  her  niece.  They're  swell!  "  whis- 
pered Mrs.  Morley,  close  to  Carol's  ear;  and  tak- 
ing her  arm  with  an  apology  to  Mr.  Nicholson, 
she  led  her  away. 

He  glanced  hallward.  Marshall  was  interview- 
ing Miss  Tolmy.  Her  face  was  more  animated 
than  he  had  before  seen  it.  Ruby  stood  near  the 
piano,  and  was,  at  the  moment,  unoccupied.  Un- 
able to  resist  the  temptation,  he  walked  over,  and 
began  almost  immediately  to  talk  to  her  of  Miss 
Tolmy. 

"Isn't  she  looking  fine,  to-day, —  quite  rested? 
Doesn't  she  display  excellent  taste  in  her  dress? 
Her  mother  told  me  the  pearl  necklace  the  daugh- 
ter has  on  is  a  family  heirloom." 

"  I  suppose  she  is  a  considerable  heiress,"  re- 
sponded Ruby. 

"  Half  a  million,  I'm  told." 

"  Ah,  Patsy,  I  hadn't  surmised  you  were  so 
avaricious." 

"  Did  I  say  I  was  wishing  for  any  of  it?  " 


AN  "  AT  HOME  "  145 

"  You  intimated  as  much." 

"  I  generally  say  what  I  mean,  don't  I  ?  " 

"  Y-es  —  sometimes,  anyway.  But  you  have 
hardly  made  yourself  visible,  up  here." 

"  That  is  no  joke." 

"  No  —  and  I  had  thought  you  really  cared  — 
a  little  —  bit." 

"For  you?" 

"  Whether  we  were  properly  looked  after, — 
Carol  and  I.  I  had  supposed  you  would  show 
some  interest."  This  with  a  smile  lest  she  seem 
too  anxious  about  the  turn  of  affairs. 

"  Haven't  I?  Why  I've  given  you  every  op- 
portunity possible."  Directly  they  saw  Mrs. 
Tolmy  advancing  toward  them.  There  was  small 
chance  for  private  conversation. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  Guild ;  but  daughter 
and  I  feel  that  we  must  be  going.  I've  come  to 
tell  you  how  much  I  enjoyed  your  music.  You  ac- 
company with  so  much  expression,  and  I  distin- 
guished your  voice  in  the  quartette.  Evelyn 
plays,  but  she  doesn't  like  to,  in  company.  She's 
like  her  father,  and  he  was  always  backward  about 
displaying  his  talents  publicly.  But  do  come 
down  and  see  us." 

"  I  shall,"  said  Ruby ;  "  and  you  are  good  to 
praise  me  so  much.  Carol  soars  so  far  above  me. 
Don't  you  think  she  is  a  wonder?  " 

Mrs.  Tolmy  smiled  as  she  replied :  "  You  are 
quite  unassuming,  Miss  Guild.  I'm  sure  I  think 
you  are,  both  of  you,  quite  unusual  girls ;  and 


146  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

those  young  men, —  they  must  be  interesting  com- 
panions for  you,  being  so  musical." 

Just  then  Miss  Tolmy  stepped  up  to  say 
"  Good  afternoon  "  and  "  Such  a  lovely  time." 

The  three  walked  away  side  by  side.  Mr. 
Nicholson  had  given  Ruby's  hand  a  parting 
clasp, —  a  hurried  one,  she  thought, —  and  a  care- 
less nod.  She  believed  that  he  admired  Miss 
Tolmy  and  the  mother.  She  saw  him  assist  her 
with  a  little  wrap  which  she  had  carried  on  her 
arm,  and  she  wondered  if  he  were  trying  to  deceive 
himself  by  thinking  that  he  could  soon  forget  his 
old  friends  —  his  particular  friend  —  herself. 
Or,  was  he  trying  to  deceive  her?  She  felt  that 
she  would  like  to  know.  She  was  almost  sure  that 
Phil  cared  much  for  Carol,  and  she  was  confident 
that  she,  herself,  should  never  care  especially  for 
Hubert  Marshall.  He  was  kind,  reasonably  at- 
tentive, most  gentlemanly,  always.  Yet,  she 
scarcely  liked  to  acknowledge  it,  she  believed  that 
Marshall,  like  herself,  was  a  trifle  disappointed. 
He  had  come  expecting  to  renew  acquaintance  with 
a  girl  he  had  greatly  admired  in  the  East.  The 
young  lady  had  treated  him  with  every  considera- 
tion ;  but  she  had,  in  various  subtle  ways,  noted 
by  the  watchful  eyes  and  ears  of  her  dearest  girl 
friend,  shown  a  preference  for  Phil.  There  mat- 
ters stood,  and  she  really  had  no  wish  to  blame 
anyone,  for  she  felt  it  could  not  be  helped. 

Many  were  leaving  now,  and  Ruby  advanced  to 
meet  others  who  wished  to  say  good-by. 


AN  "  AT  HOME  "  147 

Carol,  bright,  beautiful  as  a  goddess,  happy  in 
seeing, —  as  she  believed, —  others  happy,  was  gay- 
est of  them  all. 

"  Don't  you  forget  that  invitation,  now,"  said 
Mr.  Nicholson,  at  parting ;  and  to  Ruby :  "  I'm 
inviting  you  folks  all  down  to  dinner  to-morrow 
evening." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  answered,  simply. 

"Wasn't  it  a  success,  girls?"  asked  Mrs. 
Morley,  when  the  last  caller  had  departed ;  "  And, 
Charles,  do  say  for  once  that  you  enjoyed  an  *  at 
home.'  " 

"  'Twas  remarkably  clever, —  nice  crowd,"  he 
conceded. 

"  A  charming  affair,"  said  Marshall. 

"  Thoroughly  delightful,"  added  Phil. 

"  And  now,   girlies  ?  "   suggested  Mrs.   Morley. 

"  It  was  simply  perfect !  "  exclaimed  Carol. 

"  Everything  it  could  have  been, —  subtracting 
my  part  of  it,"  was  Ruby's  offering. 

"  Now  hear  that  child !  "  said  Mrs.  Morley,  lift- 
ing her  hands  deprecatingly.  "  I  owe  almost 
every  bit  of  the  charm  to  you  young  people." 

"  And  are  we  to  have  any  dinner  to-night,"  sub- 
mitted her  husband  with  a  wink  at  the  younger 
ladies. 

Glancing  at  the  mantel  clock :  "  I  declare ! 
It's  twenty  minutes  past  six.  But  I  couldn't 
hurry  people  away,  now  could  I?  " 

"  However  anxious  you  were  to  do  so,"  finished 
Mr.  Morley. 


US  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Charles  Henry  — " 

At  this  juncture,  Aunt  Lucinda  appeared  in 
gingham  gown  and  white  apron,  announcing  that 
"  supper  "  was  "  a  waitin'."  Oddly,  no  one  had 
noticed  her  disappearance  from  the  reception 
rooms. 

"  I've  be'n  a  showin'  the  cook  heow  tew  make 
an  old-fashioned  apple  pie,  with  layers  of  salt  pork 
in  between,"  she  said,  "  and  we're  a  goin'  tew  her  it 
fer  desert.  It  looks  ez  ef  it  w'u'd  be  fust  rate." 


CHAPTER  XV 
MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS 

A  private  dining  room  in  the  big  hotel  which 
sheltered  the  Denver  acquaintances  was  more  than 
usually  gorgeous.  A  table  with  covers  laid  for 
twelve  had,  over  the  white  damask  cloth,  a  scarf 
of  orange  satin,  and  there  were  bows  of  orange 
satin  ribbon  at  the  corners ;  bows  fastened  to  chair 
backs  and  ribbons  festooned  from  the  chandeliers 
overhead.  A  rustic  basket  of  oranges,  over  a 
silver-rimmed  mirror, —  spaces  filled  in  with 
orange  sprigs,  waxy  leaves  and  blossoms, — 
formed  a  centre  piece  for  the  table.  Blossoms  and 
leaves  were  scattered  over  the  orange  scarf. 
Place-cards  bore  orange  sprigs  in  water  colors, 
and  there  were  boutonnieres  of  orange  blossoms, 
besides  souvenirs  for  each  guest,  in  orange-colored 
satin  boxes,  bon  bons  for  the  ladies,  cigars  for 
the  gentlemen.  Orange-colored  shades  were  over 
electric  bulbs  and  candles,  and  here  and  there,  on 
the  walls,  were  orange  boughs,  bright  with  blos- 
soms. The  odor  of  oranges  pervaded  the  room, 
and  Mr.  Nicholson,  giving  directions,  began  to 
wonder  if  it  were  too  much  of  a  very  good  thing. 

"  I'll  have  Mrs.  Merriman  down,"  he  said. 
149 


150  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Fortunately,  the  lady  was  in.  She  whisked  off 
a  small  white  apron,  over  which  she  had  been  knit- 
ting something  soft  and  woolly,  and  consented  to 
oblige. 

"  But  why  didn't  you  call  Evelyn  ?  " —  meaning 
Miss  Tolmy.  "  She  is  probably  up  to  this  sort  of 
thing.  I'm  not  an  artist,  you  know,  Mr.  Nichol- 
son," she  said,  apologetically. 

"  You  are  an  old  acquaintance,  and  I  think  you 
will  tell  me  the  truth.  I  don't  want  any  flattery 
in  mine." 

"Oh,  that's  it?"  and  Mrs.  Merriman's  well- 
developed  shoulders  shook  in  amusive  unison  with 
her  light  laughter. 

The  assistants  were  nearly  through  with  the 
scheme  of  decorating  as  at  first  planned. 

"  Now  what's  the  matter?  "  asked  Mr.  Nichol- 
son of  Mrs.  Merriman  as  she  surveyed  the  room  in 
silence,  though  her  face  betokened  an  appreciative 
interest. 

"  My!  It's  gay,  isn't  it?"  she  answered,  pres- 
ently. "  Was  it  your  idea,  Mr.  Nicholson  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  see  we  don't  have  these  things  so 
plentiful  at  home." 

"  Well,  I  should  say  not,  and  they're  beautiful." 

"Is  that  all  they  are?" 

"  Why,  the  fragrance.  Did  you  mean  that  it 
might  be  too  strong?  " 

"  That's  it.  Now  you've  hit  it,  exactly. 
Please  tell  me  what  to  do  about  it." 

"  Have  you  any  ferns  ?  " 


MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS      151 

"  No,  nothing  but  orange." 

"  You  might  dispense  with  the  little  individual 
bouquets,  and  some  of  the  blossoms  on  the  scarf 
and  other  places, —  distribute  them  later  in  the 
parlor,  don't  you  see?  " 

"  Yes.     Thanks.     Too  many  bows  ?  " 

"  Well  — "  laughingly  — "  they're  ever  so 
pretty." 

"  Take  off  some  of  them,  do !  " 

With  a  gracious  smile,  Mrs.  Merriman  removed 
the  corner  bows  from  the  table,  plucked  blossoms 
discriminately  from  various  places,  filled  a  plate 
with  the  boutonnieres,  and  then  she  said :  "  Just 
a  little  of  the  asparagus  plumosis,  or  of  the 
maidenhair  fern,  would  soften  up  things,  don't  you 
know,  Mr.  Nicholson  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  jewel,  Mrs.  Merriman!  I'll  tell  the 
doctor  so ;  "  and  "  Here,  one  of  you  fellers,  won't 
you  go  somewhere  —  right  off  —  and  get  an  arm- 
ful of  —  What  did  you  call  it,  Mrs.  Merriman?" 

"  Asparagus  plumosis  — " 

"  That's  it,  and  some  of  the  other,  maidenhair, 
and  please  hurry."  With  this  Mr.  Nicholson 
dropped  some  silver  coins  into  the  hand  of  a  youth, 
and  dismissed  him  on  the  errand. 

"  You  see  I  wanted  something  a  bit  original, — 
but  I'm  willing  you  should  share  the  honors,  Mrs. 
Merriman, —  and  say :  What  do  you  think  of  my 
taking  in  Mrs.  Tolmy  to  dinner,  and  I'll  ask  Mr. 
Morley  to  be  your  escort,  and  that  would  leave 
his  wife  for  Dr.  Merriman." 


152  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  All  right,"  she  agreed :  "  But  who  is  to  have 
the  young  lady, —  Evelyn  ?  " 

"  I'll  get  Winthrop  to  ask  her.  His  sister  will 
be  at  the  beach.  Then  there'll  be  Ruby  and  young 
Tracy, —  that  will  suit,  I  reckon, —  and  Marshall 
and  Carol." 

"  M-m-m-m-e-e  —  All  thought  out,"  she  com- 
mented. 

"  Any  criticisms  ?  " 

"  No  —  only  I  happened  to  see  Carol  talking 
with  Mr.  Tracy  at  the  reception,  and  she  looked, 
and  he  looked, —  well,  you  know, —  as  if  they  were 
more  than  good  friends." 

"And  Ruby?" 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  didn't  notice  any  sheep's 
eyes  between  her  and  that  Marshall, —  all  plain 
sailing,  just  everyday  sort  of  friendship,  I 
judged." 

"  Well,  let's  change  'em  'round,  to-night.  No 
harm  done." 

"  No.     No  harm,  I  hope,  either  way." 

"  You  have  good  eyes,  Mrs.  Merriman." 

"  Thank  you.  It's  not  hard  to  see,  sometimes, 
with  only  ordinary  eyesight." 

Directly,  the  boy  returned  with  the  ferns,  and 
Mrs.  Merriman  helped  in  their  arrangement. 
Finally,  she  said :  "  Now  I  must  go  and  prink, 
or  I  shall  not  be  in  keeping  with  all  these  fine  fix- 
ings." 

Early  evening  brought  the  guests.  When  the 
lights  were  on  and  the  company  seated,  Mrs. 


MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS      153 

Morley  said  to  Dr.  M erriman :  "  It's  really  won- 
derful what  a  bachelor  can  think  of,  all  by  him- 
self. Are  you  sure  Miss  Tolmy  hadn't  a  hand  in 
the  scheme?  " 

"  Sure  as  can  be.  He  wanted  to  surprise  her, 
I  suppose." 

"  Well,  she  ought  to  appreciate  that.  We  think 
Mr.  Nicholson  is  fine,  Mr.  Morley  and  I,  such  a 
bright  business  man,  too,  Carol  says." 

"  Does  Ruby  have  nothing  to  say  ?  " 

"Nothing  much.  Wonders  why  he  stays  away 
so  from  our  place,  and  thinks  he  must  be  interested 
in  the  Virginia  girl." 

"  Ah?  Good,"  the  doctor  replied,  rubbing  his 
hands  complacently. 

Mr.  Nicholson  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  with 
Mrs.  Tolmy  at  his  right;  the  daughter,  with  Mr. 
Winthrop,  at  his  left.  Dr.  Merriman  and  Mrs. 
Morley  were  at  the  foot.  Midway  sat  Carol  and 
Ruby,  one  on  either  side,  queenly  in  dainty  ap- 
parel, and  seemingly  satisfied  with  Mr.  Nicholson's 
disposition  of  people  and  things. 

The  host  was  at  his  best,  and  had  a  store  of 
good  humor  and  anecdotes  for  the  occasion. 

"  Doesn't  Patsy  look  well  this  evening? " 
asked  Carol,  low,  of  Marshall.  "  He  has  cer- 
tainly the  mark  of  a  domestic  man.  One  can  see 
that  he  thoroughly  enjoys  presiding  at  his  own 
table." 

"  Quite  so.  How  about  me,  have  I  the  mark?  " 
he  questioned  lightly. 


154  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Not  so  plain.  You're  sort  of  indifferent,  that 
is,  you  are  more  interested  in  something  else,  at 
present." 

A  little  frown  crept  between  Marshall's  eyes, 
though  he  did  not  dream  of  it.  "  Don't  you  think 
a  man  should  be  more  interested  in  accumulating 
means  before  he  thinks  seriously  of  establishing 
himself  in  a  home  of  his  own?  " 

"  No ;  in  my  opinion  — "  for  an  instant  Carol 
hesitated,  with  a  half  smile,  then  determined  to 
speak  what  was  in  her  mind,  "  he  ought  to  have 
the  home  thought  uppermost,  first,  last,  and  all 
the  time.  A  boy  should  be  trained  with  that  idea 
as  a  goal  toward  which  all  his  energies  and  his 
education  and  efforts  should  be  directed, —  a  goal 
to  be  reached  at  his  earliest  convenience,  after  he 
shall  have  become  of  age, —  before  he  shall  have 
become  crusty  and  crabbed  and  opinionated,  when 
he  would  find  it  doubly  hard  to  secure  a  companion 
with  whom  he  could  live  amicably.  There,  I  have 
been  honest  with  you." 

"  That  is  evident." 

"  Isn't  my  advice  sensible?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  are  theoretically  right ;  but  how 
about  the  girl?  Doesn't  she  expect  so  much, — 
that  is,  a  girl  that  would  be  at  all  congenial  to 
an  educated  man, —  not  meaning  to  be  purely  per- 
sonal,—  that  a  fellow  has  to  wait  until  he  is  a 
graybeard  before  he  can  well  support  her?  " 

"  Not  the  sensible  girl.  But  tell  me,  what  should 
be  expected  of  her,  please." 


MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS      155 

"  Carol,  what  was  that  little  song  you  sang  the 
evening  before  we  left  Denver,  *  The  Swanlet '  ? 
Was  that  it  ?  "  interrupted  Mr.  Nicholson,  quite 
unintentionally. 

"  '  The  Duckling,'  "  answered  Carol,  dimples 
dancing  adown  the  length  of  the  table  between 
them. 

"That's  it,  'The  Duckling'!  It's  a  gem! 
Will  you  sing  it  again  after  dinner?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  nodded. 

"  You  see  I  was  a  bit  down  in  the  mouth  that 
evening  over  a  bad  trade  I  had  consummated;  but 
that  was  a  wonderful  tonic.  I  haven't  got  over 
the  effects  of  it  yet.  If  I  were  wishing  for  some- 
thing I  could  have,  like  the  kids  in  fairy  tales,  I 
would  wish  for  the  talent  to  compose  a  piece  like 
that.  It's  great!" 

"  Equal  to  the  *  Star-spangled  Banner  '  on  the 
eve  of  battle?  "  asked  Mr.  Winthrop. 

"  Just  about." 

"  Every  time  has  its  song,"  said  Mr.  Morley, 
tritely. 

"  And  every  song  its  interpreter,"  added  Phil, 
looking  toward  Carol. 

"  Some  are  mistaken  interpreters,"  she  sug- 
gested, naively ;  but  Phil  answered  confidently : 
"  When  they  are  out  of  harmony,  I  suppose,"  to 
which  she  smiled  an  indulgent  affirmative. 

"  I  wasn't  mistaken  in  my  interpretation  of  the 
duckling  piece,  I'm  sure,"  said  Mr.  Nicholson, 
"  for  it  gave  me  an  inspiration." 


156  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  I'm  anxious  to  hear  that  song,"  confessed  Dr. 
Merriman ;  but  his  wife  demurred :  "  It  may  not 
affect  you  as  it  did  Mr.  Nicholson.  You  see  it 
all  depended  upon  his  condition  of  mind  previ- 
ously." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  to  have  a  proper  under- 
standing of  it  I  must  have  made  a  poor  trade?  " 
he  inquired. 

"  Yes,  or  lost  a  patient,  or  something.  You 
would  need  to  feel  somewhat  depressed." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  because  misery  loves  company 
that  *  The  Duckling '  proved  inspiriting  in  the 
case  of  our  host.  It  was  a  disappointed  fowl, 
probably,"  ventured  Marshall. 

Waiters  were  removing  a  first  course,  and  sub- 
stituting a  second. 

Carol  tossed  back  a  stray  fluff  of  gold  from  her 
forehead  with  her  jeweled  fingers,  and  appealed 
to  Mr.  Nicholson :  "  Do  you  think  there  may  be 
danger  of  discussing  its  possibilities  so  long  that 
it  will  prove  unattractive?  " 

"  Yes,  now  that  you  mention  it,  I  do.  We  will 
let  the  discussion  rest,  if  you  please,"  he  replied, 
soberly. 

At  the  same  instant  there  was  the  click  of  an 
electric  bell,  and  an  orchestra,  which  had  been  un- 
noticed behind  a  voluminous  screen,  began  a 
quaint,  catchy  air.  Carol  with  leisurely  grace 
arose  in  her  place,  and  in  her  most  charmingly 
dramatic  manner  rendered  from  beginning  to  end, 


MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS      157 

in  unison  with  the  hidden  instruments,  the  song 
of  "  The  Duckling." 

Mrs.  Morley  gave  a  little  gasp  at  the  maneuver. 
Was  it  a  preconcerted  plan?  It  must  have  been. 
Presently  she  remembered  having  seen  Carol  and 
Mr.  Nicholson  conversing  together  before  they 
came  down  to  the  dining  room. 

There  was  hardly  time  for  an  encore  or  re- 
sponse, and  Carol  sat  down  amid  the  applause, 
bowing  sweetly  to  every  one. 

"Were  you  in  the  secret,  Ruby?"  asked  Phil. 

"  Not  I.     But  wasn't  it  cute?     So  like  Carol." 

"  Then  don't  you  give  Mr.  Nicholson  any  of  the 
credit?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  she  was  the  principal  actor.  She 
always  is,  wherever  she  goes." 

"  Except  when  Miss  Ruby  alternates,"  he  added 
chivalrously. 

"  Thank  you.  That  is  so  seldom,  it's  hardly 
worth  mentioning,"  she  insisted. 

A  laugh  from  Mr.  Winthrop  attracted  their  at- 
tention. 

"  Miss  Tolmy  has  been  telling  a  duckling  story," 
he  said. 

Other  guests  called  for  Miss  Tolmy. 

With  a  slight  blush  of  embarrassment,  which 
added  to  her  prettiness,  Miss  Tolmy  recited  a  bit 
of  humorous  verse,  drawling  out  the  final  words  in 
Southern  fashion,  quite  pleasing  to  all. 

"  So  unlike  Evelyn,"  said  her  mother  to  Mr. 


158  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Winthrop  afterward.  "  I'm  glad  you  encouraged 
her." 

"  So  am  I,"  said  Mr.  Nicholson.  "  Won't  you 
say  some  more  verses?  " 

"  That  was  all  of  it,"  she  answered  with  a 
pleased  expression,  which  deepened  as  Marshall 
gave  his  approval  of  the  reading  in  a  well  worded 
compliment. 

"  Now,  Ruby,  it  is  your  turn,"  said  Phil. 

Quite  to  the  young  lady's  satisfaction,  she  re- 
called a  short  story,  tragic  to  the  last  line,  but 
ending  in  comedy.  So  she  repeated  it.  Carol 
clapped  her  hands  gleefully,  and  Phil  whispered 
his  thanks. 

Eight  elaborate  courses  over,  the  ladies  as- 
cended to  Mrs.  Merriman's  parlor,  while  the  gen- 
tlemen opened  their  satin-covered  boxes  and  puffed 
away  the  contents  as  they  talked  of  the  war  situa- 
tion, the  outlook  for  Los  Angeles  with  Owens  River 
water  brought  in,  nonpartisanship  in  politics  and 
other  subjects  of  common  interest. 

Ruby  sat  at  the  piano  playing  an  old  melody 
when  Phil  stepped  up  behind  her,  whistling  a 
snatch  of  it. 

Meanwhile  Marshall  was  saying  to  Carol :  "  I 
am  ready  to  answer  your  question  about  the  girl, 
—  the  part  she  should  assume." 

Carol  was  attentive. 

"  Her  aim  should  be  to  cultivate  the  beauty  of 
the  flower  and  the  butterfly,  to  acquire  the  essence 


MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS      159 

of  music  and  art,  and  to  possess  the  spirit  of  char- 
ity." 

"  Would  you  have  her  neither  domestic  nor  lit- 
erary,—  a  beauty,  an  artist,  charitable,  without  a 
knowledge  of  cookery?  "  she  asked,  pointedly. 

"  She  could  hardly  be  a  thorough  artist  and 
omit  that,  I  think.  Yes,  I  meant  to  include  that, 
and  as  to  literature,  of  course,  to  be  charitable, 
she  would  need  to  be  sympathetic  and  congenial. 
An  uneducated  beauty  could  not  be." 

"  Ah,  I  see.  She  will  do  very  well  in  that  case. 
I  hope  you  will  soon  find  her."  There  were  no 
blushes  to  betray  hidden  thoughts,  and  Marshall 
was  well  aware  that  Carol  Wilton  was  not  for  him. 

"  This  is  more  like  old  times,"  said  Mr.  Nichol- 
son, joining  Phil  and  Ruby. 

"  Ask  Miss  Tolmy  to  play,  Patsy,"  she  said, 
rising. 

Marshall,  as  the  request  was  made,  offered  to 
escort  her  to  the  piano. 

To  Mrs.  Tolmy's  sincere  delight,  she  consented, 
and  her  pink  cheeks  were  a  shade  deeper  when 
Marshall  remained  by,  watching  her  soft,  flesh- 
cushioned  finger-tips  as  they  executed  a  difficult 
classic  with  precision  and  a  commendable  degree 
of  expression.  As  she  stood,  he  thought  of  the 
allusion  made  at  the  Morleys  to  the  bluebell,  and 
decided  that  this  young  lady  was  a  hybrid, —  a 
very  dainty  commingling  of  the  bluebell  and  for- 
get-me-not. 


160  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

Carol  watched  the  pair,  dimpling  now  at  Phil, 
now  at  Mr.  Nicholson,  and  by  and  by,  when  Miss 
Tolmy  had  declined  to  play  more,  she  began  a 
tra-la-la  to  a  popular  air,  in  which  all  the  young 
people  joined,  with  Ruby  again  as  accompanist. 

Mr.  Nicholson,  with  a  look  of  sublime  content- 
ment, sat  lounging  in  a  roomy,  leather  chair,  and 
Miss  Evelyn  Tolmy  seemed  no  part  of  his  dreamy 
vision, — at  least,  he  was  not  looking  her  way. 

Ere  long  he  brought  in  cards. 

"  Isn't  it  late  to  begin, —  half  past  nine?  "  ques- 
tioned Mr.  Morley. 

"  Not  for  me.  I  hope  you  will  stay  and  play, 
—  no  money  at  stake,  you  see, —  just  an  old-fash- 
ioned game  of  whist,  or  something." 

With  the  tables  came  choice  of  partners. 

"  Look  here,  Ruby.  I'm  pretending  I'm  at 
home  to-night.  I  want  you  to  help  me  out  in 
beating  Carol  and  Mr.  Tracy." 

Ruby  saw  that  Marshall  had  Miss  Tolmy  as  his 
partner. 

"  All  right,"  she  agreed. 

For  the  first  time  since  their  coming  to  the  city 
she  had  opportunity  to  study  Mr.  Nicholson  at 
close  range.  Once,  when  he  caught  her  observant 
eyes,  he  turned  to  Miss  Tolmy  with  some  trifling 
question  to  show  that  he  had  not  forgotten  his  les- 
son. Ruby  played  remarkably  well,  he  considered, 
and  won  his  repeated  praise.  Carol  and  Phil 
"  dawdled,"  he  declared. 


MR.  NICHOLSON  ENTERTAINS      161 

"  I  don't  believe  you  play  cards  much,  at  least 
not  whist,"  he  said  to  Tracy,  as  this  was  the  game 
upon  which  they  had  decided. 

"  No,"  answered  Phil,  "  I  haven't  played  much 
for  some  time." 

"What  do  you  play?"  asked  Mr.  Nicholson, 
"  solitaire?  " 

"  Yes,  he  plays  solitaire  all  the  time  at  the  Mor- 
leys',"  replied  Carol  in  his  stead,  with  a  meaning 
glance  at  her  auburn-haired  opposite,  which  caused 
Mr.  Nicholson  to  blunder  in  matching  a  spade 
with  a  heart. 

The  laugh  grew  until  the  four  were  in  a  tumult, 
and  Phil  remarked  that  he  was  quite  sure  Mr. 
Nicholson  hadn't  been  playing  solitaire  lately. 

"  Well,  anyhow,  this  is  what  I  call  jolly.  It's 
the  best  time  I've  had," —  and  suddenly  catching 
his  wits, — "  since  I  went  with  Miss  Tolmy  to 
vaudeville  yesterday,  no,  the  day  before." 

Ruby  looked  up  quickly. 

"  What  was  it  so  funny  at  vaudeville,  Patsy  ? 
Do  tell  us,"  she  urged. 

"  It's  much  too  long  a  story  to  tell  just  now. 
Let's  reserve  it  for  San  Diego.  By  the  way,  when 
do  we  start?  "  he  asked,  quietly. 

"  I  haven't  thought,"  acknowledged  Carol.  "  I 
don't  like  to  think.  It  is  so  perfectly  charming 
right  here  in  Los  Angeles." 

"  You  agree,  Ruby  ?  " 

"  To  be   sure."     But  Ruby  did  not   seem  en- 


162  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

thusiastic.  She  wondered  if  Mrs.  and  Miss  Tolmy 
would  go  to  San  Diego ;  but  she  did  not  like  to 
inquire. 

Mr.  Morley  was  setting  back  his  chair  and  his 
wife  followed  his  example. 

"  We  must  go,  or  Aunt  Lucinda  will  have  the 
fidgets  over  us,"  she  asserted. 

The  ladies  bade  each  other  good-night  in  the 
parlors,  but  Mr.  Nicholson  and  Dr.  Merriman  saw 
the  Morley  party  to  their  car.  As  the  former 
assisted  Ruby  to  enter,  she  said  very  sweetly: 
"  You've  given  us  a  lovely  time,  Patsy.  Come  up 
and  see  us." 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  he  consented.  "  And  the  dinner 
doings, —  they  were  more  yours  than  mine." 


CHAPTER  XVI 
AN  IMPORTANT  CALL 

"  Some  one  to  talk  with  you,  Ruby,"  called 
Carol  from  the  telephone  in  the  hall  of  the  Morley 
home.  But,  though  she  recognized  the  voice,  she 
did  not  say  who. 

Ruby  laid  aside  her  needlework  and  hastened 
to  answer,  without  question. 

"  Hello,"  she  said,  taking  up  the  receiver. 

"  Oh, —  it  is  you,  Patsy.     How  are  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  Carol,  and  we  are  fine, —  all  of  us. 
How  is  Miss  Tolmy?" 

"Haven't  you?  Well  —  she  is  probably  rest- 
ing. I  was  a  bit  sleepy  myself  this  morning." 

"  No,  I'm  not  going  out, —  at  least,  I  don't  care 
about  it  — " 

"  Ha,  ha  ;  surely.     Glad  to  see  you." 

"  Oh,  just  whenever  convenient  —  any  time  — ' 

"  All  right.     I'll  expect  you,  then." 

"  Good-by,  Patsy," —  and  obeying  a  pressing 
impulse:  — "  Shall  you  bring  Miss  Tolmy  along?  " 

"No?—  Why  —  yes  —  to  be  sure.  Just 
wanted  to  know,  that  was  all.  Well  —  good-by 
—  I'll  be  most  happy,  of  course." 

Not  long  after  this  conversation,  Ruby  seated 

herself  in  the  porch  swing.     She  waited  over  an 
163 


164.  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

hour,  with  a  book  in  her  lap, —  a  late  story  of  in- 
terest to  most  story-lovers,  and  by  an  author  of 
world-wide  repute, —  but  daydreams  had  proved 
much  more  fascinating  to  this  particular  young 
lady.  At  her  back  were  pillows,  high-piled;  a 
Mexican  scarf  fell  across  her  shoulders ;  at  her  feet 
was  a  Navajo  blanket,  and  just  beyond,  an  im- 
mense bougainvillea,  weighted  with  green  foliage 
and  crimson  bells  with  golden  tongues,  swayed 
lazily  in  the  soft  breeze  from  the  sea. 

"  How  late  he  is,"  she  concluded.  "  I  wonder 
if  something  has  kept  him,  if  he  won't  come,  after 
all.  Though  he  would  surely  have  'phoned  in  that 
case.  Poor  Patsy !  He  really  seemed  afraid  I 
wouldn't  care  to  see  him  without  Miss  Tolmy, — 
Miss  Tolmy,  indeed! —  Well — " 

A  step  on  the  pavement  at  some  distance  away 
caused  her  to  look  quickly  down  the  street.  The 
step  had  a  significant  sound,  a  familiar  stamp, 
and  was  followed  by  a  vision  of  Mr.  Nicholson's 
well-groomed,  agile  figure,  walking  stick  in  hand. 
She  noticed  that  the  stick  was  a  new  one  with  an 
ivory  handle,  and  so  intimately  were  the  Tolmys 
associated  of  late  with  Mr.  Nicholson  in  the  mind 
of  Ruby,  that  she  caught  herself  suggesting  to 
some  one  who  seemed  to  be  another  self :  "  Possi- 
bly it  was  a  present  from  Mrs.  Tolmy,  or  from 
Evelyn."  And  the  other  self, —  the  real  self, — 
good-naturedly  acquiesced  in  the  suggestion,  and 
persistently  kept  it  in  mind  after  his  arrival.  She 
had  time  to  assure  herself  that  Patsy  wasn't  so 


AN  IMPORTANT  CALL  165 

bad,  after  all.  It  shouldn't  be  surprising  if  people 
did  wish  to  give  him  things.  He  was  always  giv- 
ing to  others :  people  he  liked  and  people  he  didn't 
even  know,  if  they  were  in  need,  or  he  felt  it  might 
make  them  happier.  And  that  fine  dinner  at  the 
hotel  — "  More  hers  than  his,"  he  had  said,  and 
— "  Oh,  he  is  good, —  good  and  kind.  I  wonder  I 
didn't  appreciate  it  all  in  Denver !  " 

Springing  from  her  seat  with  this  conclusion, 
she  went  to  meet  him. 

"  Hello,"  she  said,  offering  him  her  hand. 
"  Glad  to  see  you,  Patsy." 

"  Well,  now  that  is  something  like,"  he  said,  tak- 
ing the  hand  and  holding  it  as  he  re-seated  her  in 
the  swing  and  himself  beside  her,  when  he  gently 
let  it  fall  to  her  lap. 

"  AU  alone?     Where's  the  folks?  "  he  asked. 

"  Gone  to  Universal  City  to  see  the  moving  pic- 
ture plant." 

"  And  didn't  you  care  to  go?  " 

"  Not  'specially.  I'll  hear  all  about  it  when  the 
friends  return,  and  then  I  can  imagine  what  it  is 
like,  and  I  shall  have  escaped  the  tired  feeling 
sight-seeing  gives  one." 

"  Very  well.  I  came  to  see  you,  anyway,  so  it 
doesn't  matter  much  about  the  others." 

"  Why  haven't  you  been  to  call  before,  Patsy  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  remember  the  agreement,  child?  I 
was  to  give  you  a  fair  chance,  and  not  to  '  butt  in,' 
unless  I  was  needed.  I  can't  say  that  I  have  ob- 
served any  indication  of  being  really  needed,  yet, 


166  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

but, —  we  are  making  a  long  stay, —  almost  a  fort- 
night already ;  and  I  thought  we  ought  to  make  up 
our  minds  about  leaving  for  San  Diego.  The 
Merrimans  would  like  to  go  early  next  week." 

"And  the  Tolmys?" 

"  They  talk  of  it." 

"  M-m-m-m-e. —  You  find  Miss  Tolmy  quite 
congenial,  don't  you?  " 

"She  is  all  right.     Why?" 

"  Oh,  I  just  wondered.  Her  mother  looked  as 
if  she  thought  you  were  about  the  whole  thing  last 
night  —  and  —  say,  Patsy,  what  a  pretty  new 
walking  stick.  Where  did  you  find  it?  "  and,  tak- 
ing it  from  its  resting  place  on  a  near-by  window 
ledge,  she  examined  the  carved  ivory  and  came, — 
not  wholly  unexpectedly, —  upon  some  recent  let- 
tering: "  J.  B.  N.,"  his  monogram,  and  the  date, 
—  yesterday's. 

"  That?  Oh,  you  don't  care  to  know,"  tenta- 
tively. 

"  Why,  yes,  I  do,  Patsy ;  I'm  interested  in  what- 
ever interests  you,  don't  you  know?  " 

"  Well,  then,  I  bought  it  at  a  Japanese  store. 
Mrs.  Tolmy  and  Miss  Evelyn  and  I  were  looking 
about,  and  they  admired  it." 

"  Oh,—  they." 

"  Nice  people,"  he  added,  unwilling  to  concede 
too  much  at  the  outset. 

"  Tell  me  about  the  vaudeville  show.  What 
was  so  delightfully  amusing  there? "  persisted 
Ruby. 


AN  IMPORTANT  CALL  167 

"  Oh,  I  can  tell  you  that  in  a  minute ;  usual 
thing, —  comic  songs,  Persian  wonder,  athletes  — " 

"  But  last  evening  you  told  me  that  it  was  a 
long  story  —  to  be  reserved  for  San  Diego.  Was 
it  Evelyn  you  found  so  interesting,  and  is  that 
why  it  may  be  continued  indefinitely  ?  " 

Mr.  Nicholson  gazed  into  Ruby's  eyes  curiously 
a  moment,  and  then  he  answered :  "  Why,  Ruby, 
you  don't  mean  to  say  you  care  —  whatever  it 
is?" 

"  Certainly,  I  do !  Haven't  we  been  friends  for 
years  and  years  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  I  hope  so." 

"Don't  you  know  it?  " 

"  I've  allowed  myself  to  think  so  —  nearly  al- 
ways. And  that  you  take  a  sisterly  interest  in 
me,  I  can  now  believe.  Well  —  I'm  grateful  for 
that." 

Ruby  had  replaced  the  walking  stick  on  the  win- 
dow ledge.  Her  cheeks  were  aflame,  and  to  hide 
her  embarrassment  she  looked  down  at  her  rings 
and  toyed  with  them. 

Mr.  Nicholson  urged,  seriously :  "  Am  I 
right?" 

"  Y-es  —  I'm  interested  in  you  —  as  much  as  if 
I  —  were  a  sister,"  and  lifting  her  eyes  to  his,  with 
a  half  smile:  "  Why  shouldn't  I  be?  " 

"  You  have  every  right  in  the  world  to  be  inter- 
ested in  me  in  any  way  you  please,"  he  acknowl- 
edged, "  and  as  turn  about  is  fair  play,  I  will  say 
that  I  haven't  lost  my  interest  in  you." 


168  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  So  you  will  tell  me  whether  you  really  like 
Evelyn  well  enough  to  marry  her  ?  " 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  marry  her,  Ruby  ?  Men 
like  to  know  that  their  sisters  are  pleased  with 
their  choice, —  particularly  of  a  wife." 

For  an  instant  Ruby  was  silent.  Presently  she 
compelled  herself  to  say :  "  I  ought  to  be  willing, 
if  you  wish  it.  She  is  a  nice  girl,  I  believe  —  and 
I  have  —  no  right  to  keep  you  from  marrying  the 
girl  you  love."  Her  voice  was  a  little  tremulous, 
and  again  she  toyed  with  her  rings. 

"  See  here,  Ruby,  I  want  you  to  look  at  me,"  he 
commanded  gently,  but  firmly :  "  How  is  it  about 
Tracy?  " 

"  He  is  devoted  to  Carol." 

"  And  the  other  fellow?  " 

"  7  don't  want  him,"  was  the  decided  answer. 

"  Do  you  want  Tracy  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed ! "  Her  hazel  eyes  were  blazing. 
"  I  want, —  oh,  I  can't  say  — " 

"  Do  you  want  me,  dear?  "  he  sacrificed,  lifting 
her  unresisting  hand.  "  Because  if  you  do, — 
why,  Ruby, —  honestly  —  I  have  never  felt  that  I 
truly  belonged  to  any  one  else." 

"  I  do,  Patsy, —  I'm  sure  I  do,"  she  confessed 
with  downcast  eyes.  "  I've  only  lately  found  it 
out.  I  have  been  very,  very  stupid  " ;  and  looking 
up  quickly  into  his  face.  "  You  deserve  to  know 
that  I've  been  —  oh —  dreadfully  jealous  of  you 
ever  since  Miss  Tolmy, —  Evelyn, —  came.  I 
haven't  been  able  to  think  of  anything  else  for 


AN  IMPORTANT  CALL  169 

long,  and  I  couldn't  feel  quite  happy  even  here, 
where  every  one  is  so  kind,  just  through  a  horrid 
fear  that  you  would  fall  in  love  with  Evelyn  — 
and  —  marry  her.  There !  Now  I've  told  you, 
and  I'm  glad  it's  over  with.  But  wasn't  I  stupid, 
Patsy,  not  to  see  all  along?  " 

"  That  I  cared  most  for  you  ?  " 

"  That  you  are  the  nicest  man  in  all  the  world, 
—  except  my  father, —  and  the  only  man  I  really 
wanted  for  a  husband." 

"  That  pays  me  up  in  full,  Ruby !  I  felt  that 
you  would  do  the  right  thing,  whatever  you  did. 
If  you  had  decided  in  favor  of  the  other  fellow,  I 
couldn't  have  blamed  you, —  but  —  I'm  mighty 
glad  you  didn't,  little  girl." 

"  And  —  would  —  you  have  liked  Evelyn  best 
if  I  had  chosen  some  one  else  ?  " 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  could  have  learned  to  like 
Evelyn  best  in  a  week,  when  I  have  been  loving 
you  for  years  ?  —  I  can't  say  that  I  might  never 
have  found  any  one  else  to  love,  but  I'm  not  easily 
turned  aside  from  anything,  once  it  gets  a  hold 
upon  me.  Can't  you  see?  "  His  eyes  held  hers 
with  eager  questioning. 

"I  —  didn't  know,"  she  faltered. 

"  But  you  are  sure  of  it  now,  dear?  " 

"  Yes  —  quite  sure  — " 

"  And  I  won't  need  to  ask  *  papa '  for  you, 
Ruby,"  was  a  somewhat  later  declaration.  "  He 
kindly  informed  me  before  I  came  away  that  he 
would  be  pleased  to  have  me  for  a  son-in-law." 


170  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"Did  he  —  really?  And,  oh,  Patsy,  I  know 
mama  likes  you  tremendously  well,  and  so  do  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Merriman  and  —  everybody." 

Mr.  Nicholson  turned  aside  his  head  in  mod- 
est incredulity. 

"  It's  true,  Patsy, —  every  bit." 

Mr.  Nicholson  laughed,  and,  finding  compli- 
ments embarrassing,  offered  as  a  diversion :  "  I 
heard  Miss  Tolmy  say  last  evening  that  she  con- 
sidered Marshall  the  swellest  fellow  she  had  ever 
met,  and  the  two  of  them  discovered  that  their 
grandfathers  were  chums  at  Harvard." 

"  Marshall !  If  only  she  could  break  through 
his  reserve.  He  has  seemed  to  me  afraid  to  as- 
sume big  responsibilities, —  deplores  his  lack  of 
means,  and  the  extravagance  of  the  times, —  es- 
pecially of  marriageable  young  ladies.  A  girl  is 
willing  to  wait  for  the  man  she  loves,  Patsy,  and 
to  work,  if  need  be,  to  help  him  on.  She  doesn't 
expect  a  mansion  to  start  with,  if  he  can't  afford 
it,  and  she  would  rather  have  love  than  a  mansion 
any  day,  if  she  can't  have  both." 

"  That  is  like  a  sensible  girl,  I  am  sure.  But 
he  may  have  had  some  rather  bitter  experiences 
with  those  girls  back  in  Boston." 

"  Possibly,"  she  laughed.  "  But,  do  you  know, 
I  don't  think  I  would  care  for  a  great  big  house, 
Patsy.  And  we'll  have  a  dear  little  bungalow, 
like  some  we  have  seen  here,  won't  we?  They  are 
so  cozy  and  homelike." 

"  I've  built  a  home  for  you  over  and  over  in 


AN  IMPORTANT  CALL  171 

my  mind  hundreds  of  times,  Ruby, —  nothing  is 
too  good  for  you ;  but  I  should  like  the  bungalow 
myself." 

"  Out  somewhere  near  the  City  Park  ?  " 

"  Yes,  anywhere  you  say." 

"  Oh,  Patsy,  you  have  made  me  so  glad  and 
happy ! " 

"  And  I, —  words  fail  - 

"  And  I  will  write  mama  this  very  evening,"  said 
Ruby  by  and  by. 

"  And  I  will  telegraph  *  papa.'  " 

"  And  we'll  have  a  quiet,  little  home  wedding, 
won't  we?  " 

"  After  we  return  from  the  trip?  " 

"  Yes,  as  soon  as  I  can  have  a  trousseau  made 
up.  And  we'll  invite  the  Morleys,  and  Carol,  and 
Phil,  and  Marshall,  and  Mrs.  Tolmy  and  Evelyn, 
and—" 

"  There's  the  Morley  car !  " 

"Oh,  Patsy,  shall  we  tell?" 

"  If  you  care  to." 

"  I  do;  I'm  as  proud  —  as  proud  can  be!  " 

Mr.  Nicholson  smiled, —  even  blushed  a  trifle, — 
and  wondered  if  Ruby  were  proud  of  him  as  a 
fiance,  or  just  because  she  was  engaged  to  be  mar- 
ried. Girls  were  inexplicable  anyway. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
FURTHER  SURPRISES 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Nicholson  ?  Have  you 
and  Ruby  had  a  nice  visit?  "  asked  Mrs.  Morley, 
meeting  them  on  the  porch. 

"  Fine,  thank  you,  Mrs.  Morley,  the  best  ever," 
he  answered. 

Mrs.  Morley  gave  him  a  questioning  glance  as 
she  replied :  "  We  had  hoped  you  would  arrive 
in  time  to  go  out  to  Universal  City  with  us." 

"  A  little  matter  of  business  detained  me ;  and 
besides,  I  wanted  to  have  a  talk  with  Ruby,"  was 
the  significant  response. 

Mrs.  Morley  turned  to  the  girl.  Her  cheeks 
were  fairly  pink. 

"  Has  he  been  telling  you  good  news  from 
home?  "  she  inquired.  "  You  look  so  happy." 

"  Ruby  and  I  have  been  making  an  engagement, 
Mrs.  Morley,"  Mr.  Nicholson  answered  in  Ruby's 
stead. 

"  An  —  engagement?  " 

"  Yes  —  to  be  married,"  he  replied,  soberly. 

"  An  —  engagement  —  to  —  be  — married!  " 
the  lady  repeated  in  amazement. 

"  Yes.     I've  wanted  her  for  a  wife  for  a  good 

while,"  he  appealed. 

172 


FURTHER  SURPRISES  173 

"  Oh,  but  that  is  grand ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Mor- 
ley. "I  wish  you  joy, —  both  of  you, —  with  all 
my  heart." 

Carol  and  Phil  rushed  out  from  the  hall  op- 
portunely, quite  unsuspicious  of  the  turn  of 
events. 

"  Carol  —  Phil, —  what  do  you  think  has  tran- 
spired in  our  absence?  "  asked  Mrs.  Morley  ex- 
citedly. 

"Where?" 

"  How  ?  "  said  the  two  at  once. 

"  Why,  right  here.  I  don't  know  how.  It's 
Ruby  and  Mr.  Nicholson.  They've  gone  and  got 
engaged." 

"  You, —  Ruby?  "  cried  Carol,  and,  penetrating 
the  gravity  with  her  violet  eyes  dancing  and  a  rush 
of  her  body  through  the  space  between,  she  caught 
the  girl  friend  in  her  arms  and  kissed  her.  Then 
turning  to  Mr.  Nicholson,  who  was  standing: 
"  Here's  to  you,  my  friend  —  all  my  sincerest 
congratulations,"  and  grasping  his  hand :  "  I've 
been  hoping  and  hoping  this  would  be  —  for,  oh, 
ever  so  long !  " 

Phil  and  Mrs.  Morley  followed  with  other  hand- 
shakes and  hearty  good  wishes  as  Mrs.  Dobbins 
arrived  from  spending  the  day  with  Mrs.  Graham. 
Mr.  Graham  had  brought  her  back  in  the  electric 
phaeton. 

"  Oh,  auntie !  What  do  you  suppose  has  come 
about  since  you  left  us  ?  "  said  Carol,  running  to 
assist  the  elderly  woman  up  the  steps.  "  We  have 


174  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

an  engagement  on  our  hands.     Do  come,  quick !  " 

"Engagement?  What  fer?  "  she  asked,  step- 
ping on  the  front  gore  of  her  gown  in  her  haste  to 
comply. 

"  Ruby  and  Mr.  Nicholson  are  going  to  be  mar- 
ried !  " 

"Fer  pity's  sake!  Yeou  don't  say  so?  Not 
right  this  minute,  be  they?  " 

"  Not  till  you've  had  a  chance  to  give  them  your 
blessing,  auntie.  At  least,  I  think  not." 

"  Wall,  Ruby,"  said  Mrs.  Dobbins,  when  at  last 
she  reached  the  young  lady,  "  I'm  glad  yeou're  en- 
gaged tew  an  old  acquaintunce.  It's  most  yews'- 
ally  the  safest  plan  " ;  and  to  Mr.  Nicholson,  "  I 
guess  mebbe  yeou'll  make  Ruby  a  good  man. 
Yeou're  old  'nough  tew  know  what  yeou  aire  a 
doin',  and  not  tew  be  led  by  any  o'  them  silly  rea- 
sons some  folks  give  fer  gettin'  married.  I  hope 
yeou  won't  ever  be  sorry,  either  of  yeou."  She 
also  shook  hands  with  the  pair  while  Phil  and 
Carol  were  looking  into  each  other's  eyes,  and  Phil 
propounded  a  mute  query  to  which  Carol  replied 
with  a  nod. 

"  What  would  you  say  to  another  engagement, 
auntie  ?  "  he  asked  aloud. 

"  What, — yeou  and  Carol?  "  and  she  pointed 
her  forefinger  in  their  direction. 

"  Yes,  we  might  as  well  own  up,"  he  acknowl- 
edged. "Won't  you  congratulate  us?" 

Mrs.  Morley  took  out  her  pocket-handkerchief 
and  began  to  wipe  her  eyes,  then,  recovering  her- 


FURTHER  SURPRISES  175 

self,  she  said :  "  Oh,  you  children  —  Well  — 
this  is  — " 

"A  dispensation  of  Providence?"  suggested 
Phil. 

"  '  He  works  in  wondrous  ways,' —  myste'rous 
ways, — '  His  wonders  tew  perform,'  as  the  hymn- 
writer  says,"  declared  Aunt  Lucinda. 

"  What's  the  matter, —  what  you  crying  about, 
Ida?  "  demanded  Mr.  Morley,  joining  the  group. 

"  Oh,  Charles  Henry, —  we're  just  crying  for 
joy,  I  do  believe!  These  young  people  here  have 
been  getting  engaged, —  all  four  of  them !  " 

"  Hurrah !  That  is  good  news,  sure  enough ! 
Say,  Phil  —  Carol,  and  you  —  over  there, —  Mr. 
Nicholson,  I  hadn't  expected  you  would  steal  one 
of  our  girls  while  we  were  away, —  but  I'm  sure 
it's  just  completely  all  right.  Shake,  all  of  you, 
and  be  happy  ever  after !  "  To  each  he  gave  his 
hand  and  special  good  wishes. 

"  Where's  Marshall  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Morley, 
abruptly. 

"  Can't  prove  it  by  me,"  said  her  husband. 
"  He  started  back  on  the  trolley  before  we  were 
ready  to  come ;  but  I  supposed  we  should  find  him 
here." 

"  I  heard  Miss  Tolmy  say  he  intended  calling 
there  this  afternoon,"  volunteered  Mr.  Nicholson. 

"  Oh,  did  you,  really  ?  "  asked  Ruby,  "  and, 
my,  I  was  just  feeling  a  little  bit  sorry  for  him, 
thinking  he  might  feel  lonesome  up  here,  don't  you 
know?  I  think  I'll  reserve  my  pity." 


176  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Morley,  shaking  his  head 
slowly,  "  if  you  had  only  been  up  here  oftener, 
we  might  have  guessed,  Mr.  Nicholson." 

"  Let's  'phone  Marshall  to  bring  Miss  Tolmy 
up  to  dinner.  You'll  stay,  won't  you,  Mr.  Nichol- 
son? "  begged  Mrs.  Morley. 

"  Yes  —  and  thank  you." 

"  Ruby,  I  shall  believe  you  are  a  gay  deceiver, 
I  am  afraid ;  but  I  couldn't  have  planned  it  better, 
if  I  had  tried,"  continued  the  hostess. 

"  You  can't  most  always  sometimes  tell,"  added 
Mr.  Morley,  and  Aunt  Lucinda  contributed: 
"  Looks  is  turrible  deceivin'  when  yeou  ain't  a 
lookin'  fer  'em  tew  be.  But  I  wa'n't  noways  de- 
ceived abeout  yeou  tew,"  she  averred,  nodding  at 
Carol  and  Phil. 

"  Why,  auntie,  weren't  we  behavin'  ?  "  asked 
Carol,  mischievously. 

"  Behavin'?  Wall,  I'm  an  old  woman,  an'  I've 
seen  lots  o'  billin'  and  cooin'  in  my  time." 

"  Ha,  ha,"  laughed  Phil,  while  Carol's  eyes 
sparkled  like  jewels  in  the  sunlight. 

"  And  nobody's  kissed  me,"  she  said  with  a 
mimic  pout. 

"  You  dear  — "  said  Mrs.  Morley,  drawing  the 
girl  close. 

"  And  now  it's  your  turn,  auntie,"  said  Carol. 

"  Land  sakes,  I  e'en  a'most  fergot !  There !  " 
and  a  genuine  smack  resounded  from  the  withered 
lips,  a  manifestation  of  kindly  feeling  which  Carol 
thoroughly  appreciated,  though  she  laughed  mer- 


FURTHER  SURPRISES  177 

rily  over  the  subsequent  display  of  anxiety,  when 
Aunt  Lucinda  said  to  them  all :  "I  hope  yeour 
pa's  and  ma's  won't  fret." 

In  the  meantime,  Marshall  had  arrived,  but  evi- 
denced little  surprise  at  the  news.  He  agreed  to 
return  for  Miss  Tolmy,  provided  she  would  con- 
sent to  come.  First,  he  inquired  by  'phone,  and 
an  affirmative  reply  took  him  once  more  to  her 
hotel. 

After  dinner,  the  friends  assembled  in  the  liv- 
ing room  and  stood  in  little  groups,  chatting, 
familiarly.  Marshall  and  Miss  Tolmy  were  near 
Aunt  Lucinda,  who,  with  much  animation,  related 
for  their  benefit  her  experience  on  arriving  from 
Mrs.  Graham's. 

"  Greatly  shocked,  were  you  ?  "  asked  Marshall. 

"  Wall,  no,  kinder  supprised,  that's  all,  though 
I'd  be'n  a  suspicionin'  Carol  an'  Phil;  an'  it 
seemed  nat'ral  that  Ruby  sh'u'd  take  up  with  an' 
old  acquaintunce  o'  her'n." 

"  What  would  you  have  thought  of  a  third  an- 
nouncement? "  was  another  query,  of  Marshall. 

"  Ours?  "  asked  Miss  Tolmy,  smiling  at  the 
previous  questioner. 

Aunt  Lucinda  lifted  her  hands  in  dismay. 

"  What's    that?  "   exclaimed   Phil,   overhearing. 

"  Really?  "  —  "  No  — "  said  Mrs.  Morley  and 
Carol  at  the  same  instant, —  the  latter  protesting 
involuntarily. 

"  Do  explain,"  begged  Mr.  Nicholson. 

By  this  time  everyone  was  listening,  and  Mar- 


178  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

shall  bravely  proceeded  to  satisfy  the  curiosity 
aroused. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  he  began :  "  I've  had  sev- 
eral talks  with  Mrs.  Tolmy  and  Miss  Evelyn,  and 
we  find  that  we  have  mutual  acquaintances  in  Bos- 
ton, and  at  Bar  Harbor, —  a  resort  I  have  fre- 
quented with  my  people  in  midsummers, —  where 
I  have  frequently,  also,  heard  of  the  Tolmys, 
though  we  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  meet.  Be- 
sides, I  have  learned  from  them  what  I  had  not 
known  before,  that  my  Grandfather  Marshall 
would  probably  have  married  a  great-aunt  of  Miss 
Evelyn,  had  not  the  death  of  the  lady  occurred  by 
accident  after  she  had  become  his  fiancee.  The 
engagement  came  about  during  a  vacation  he  spent 
with  the  family,  by  invitation  of  Miss  Evelyn's 
grandfather.  So  we  came  very  near  being  cousins. 
Secondly,  a  certain  young  lady,  not  far  distant," 
here  he  glanced  amicably  at  Carol,  "  has  menaced 
me  with  sordid  details  of  a  crabbed,  morose, 
notional,  critical,  cynical  old  bachelorhood — " 

"  All  of  that?  "  asked  Carol,  to  the  amusement 
of  everyone,  and  then :  "  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon  ! 
I  didn't  intend  to  interrupt." 

"  Granted,"  he  conceded ;  "  and  to  resume :  I 
was  advised  to  marry  early,  thereby  escaping  these 
manifold  ills  and  acquiring  happiness.  Conse- 
quently, on  the  way  up  from  the  hotel  this  evening, 
in  the  company  of  Miss  Evelyn,  I  informed  her  of 
the  double  engagement,  and  suggested  that  it 
might  be  commendable  in  us,  to  follow  suit.  She 


FURTHER  SURPRISES  179 

offered  some  seemingly  plausible  reasons  in  refu- 
tation of  my  argument,  but  was  finally  persuaded 
to  acknowledge  that  in  our  case  they  hadn't  much 
weight." 

"  But  we  are  not  going  to  rush  into  matrimony," 
declared  Miss  Tolmy,  coloring  prettily  and 
drawling  the  words  a  little,  in  Southern  fashion, 
as  he,  hesitating,  looked  toward  her  expectantly. 

"  It's  to  be  a  sort  of  trial  engagement  I  be- 
lieve," he  added ;  "  but  I  shall  not  be  at  fault  if  it 
isn't  made  permanent  —  and  soon." 

"  Ain't  yeou  afeerd  yeou'll  be  disapp'inted, 
when  yeou  find  eout  each  other's  failin's?  Ev'ry- 
buddy  has  'em,"  said  Aunt  Lucinda  dolefully. 

"  Yes,  and  we  imagine  ours  are  no  worse,  Mrs. 
Dobbins,"  answered  Marshall,  complacently ; 
"  and  we  hope  to  exercise  charity." 

"  Wall,  I  never  see  nuthin'  like  this,  an'  I've 
lived  tew  be  a'most  eighty,"  she  groaned. 

"  /  can't  somehow  realize  it, —  everything  has 
been  so  precipitate,"  said  Mrs.  Morley ;  "  but,  of 
course,  you  are  all  in  earnest." 

We  were  never  more  so,"  answered  Marshall, 
soberly. 

"  Good  for  you,  Marshall !  "  cried  Carol.  "  I'm 
as  glad  as  glad  can  be,"  and  approaching  Miss 
Tolmy,  she  gave  her  a  belated  kiss  and  wishes  of 
a  happy  ending  to  the  affair;  while  Phil,  taking 
Marshall's  hand,  gave  him  a  long,  long  look,  which 
eventually  banished  doubt  in  the  matter,  and  made 
it  appear  altogether  right  between  them. 


180  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Mama  knows  I've  been  partial  to  Marshall  all 
the  while,"  said  Evelyn  to  the  ladies  who  gathered 
around  after  Marshall  had  led  her  to  a  seat;  and 
to  Ruby,  "  Mr.  Nicholson  could  only  talk  of  you. 
I  have  never  seen  a  man  so  much  in  love  with  any- 
one before." 

"  Until  you  met  Marshall  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Morley. 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  known  him  long  enough  to  tell," 
she  laughed ;  "  but  we  will  take  plenty  of  time  to 
get  acquainted." 

"  That  is  right,"  replied  Mrs.  Morley. 

"  We  have  an  old  daguerreotype  at  home  of 
Marshall's  grandfather,"  she  continued,  brightly. 
"  I  almost  knew  him  from  that,  right  away." 

"  I've  heard  my  father  say  that  he  both  looks 
and  acts  like  his  grandfather,"  said  Phil.  "  And 
if  your  great-aunt  could  trust  the  grandfather, 
why  not  the  grandniece  the  great-grandson  ?  " 

"  So  I  think,"  she  responded. 

"  Good  luck  to  you,  anyway,  Evelyn,  if  I  may 
be  so  informal." 

"  Surely !  Marshall  says  you  are  like  a 
brother." 

"  Isn't  she  sweet  ?  "  whispered  Carol  to  their 
hostess. 

"  She  has  her  inspiration,  to-night,"  was  the 
reply. 

A  solemnity  had  fallen  upon  the  group,  which 
later  music  failed  to  dispel.  It  was  as  if  a  strong, 
resistless  current  had  caught  up  these  young  lives 


FURTHER  SURPRISES  181 

to  bear  them  onward,  either  to  destructive  rocks 
or  shoals,  or  to  an  open  sea, —  clear,  majestic  and 
full  of  beauty.  The  mystery  of  untried  ways  im- 
pressed them. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
LITTLE  JOURNEYS 

Womanlike,  particularly  motherlike,  Mrs. 
Tolmy  felt  a  drawing  of  the  heart  strings  upon 
hearing  of  her  daughter's  decision  to  become  en- 
gaged. She  was  an  only  child,  and  had  been  most 
carefully  guarded.  Besides,  since  her  father's 
death  she  had  been  an  almost  inseparable  com- 
panion. But  with  a  tolerant  spirit,  the  more 
easily  held  because  of  her  implicit  faith  in  the 
character  of  Hubert  Marshall,  she  wept  in  silence 
and  in  secret,  while  openly  commending  the 
daughter's  judgment,  yet  without  urging  or  desir- 
ing anything  like  haste  in  the  matter. 

"  You  ought  to  be  able  to  learn  each  other's 
ways,  and  to  make  up  your  minds  about  marrying, 
by  next  fall,  Evelyn,"  she  said ;  "  I  wouldn't  think 
of  having  a  wedding  before  that." 

"  Nor  I,  and  Marshall  wouldn't,  mama,"  replied 
Evelyn,  "  but  I  feel  just  as  sure  as  can  be  that  it 
will  come  off.  It's  a  feeling  I've  never  had  before, 
like  intuition,  or  what  is  it,  mama?  Do  you 
know?  " 

"  Bless   you,   child,  you  know  as  well  as  I,  a 
182 


LITTLE  JOURNEYS  183 

selection  of  the  fittest,  I  suppose;  a  soul-mate, 
some  say,  that  one  knows  at  first  sight.  But  I 
wouldn't  place  too  much  stress  on  it." 

Dr.  Merriman  caught  himself  smiling  many 
times  after  the  engagements  were  reported  to  him 
by  his  wife;  and  she,  good  woman,  spent  much  of 
her  time  sympathizing  with  Mrs.  Tolmy  and  pet- 
ting Evelyn. 

"  I  suppose  you'll  expect  to  live  in  Boston,  if 
you  marry,"  she  remarked  to  the  latter.  "  They 
say  Marshall  thinks  it's  the  only  place  there  is." 

"  He  told  me  he  would  go  wherever  I  wished, 
and  thought  he  could  work  up  a  practice  most  any 
place,"  said  Evelyn.  "  Of  course,  I  shall  not  wish 
to  be  far  from  mama,  and  we  like  Washington,  or 
Baltimore.  I  feel  sure  that  Marshall  will  come 
into  prominence  in  his  profession,  and  some  day 
he  may  be  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  He's 
so  distinguished  looking.  Don't  you  think  he  is, 
Mrs.  Merriman?" 

"  I  do,  and  I  shouldn't  be  a  bit  surprised  to  find 
him  a  Supreme  Court  judge.  He's  smart,  and 
blood  will  tell." 

"  Yes,  that  is  a  great  consolation,"  assented 
Mrs.  Tolmy.  "  We  know  he  is  of  a  fine  family." 

"  It  isn't  as  if  Evelyn  had  fallen  in  love  with 
some  titled  foreigner,  who  would,  as  likely  as  not, 
make  a  rake  of  a  husband,"  said  Mrs.  Merriman, 
tritely. 

"  No,  indeed  I'm  glad  she  has  chosen  an  Ameri- 
can, like  ourselves ;  and  most  girls  marry  at  some 


184  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

time  in  their  lives.     We  did,"  she  laughed,  "  and 
we  didn't  do  so  badly." 

At  the  Morleys',  late  at  night  and  early  next 
morning,  these  momentous  affairs  were  discussed 
and  re-discussed,  up  stairs  and  down  stairs,  and 
even  in  Stephen's  quarters,  for  in  some  unaccount- 
able way,  the  news  had  leaked  into  the  kitchen. 
For  a  brief  period,  there  was  a  constant  whirl  of 
excitement. 

"  I  suppose  you  young  people  haven't  forgot- 
ten that  we  are  to  take  an  excursion  to  Riverside 
to-day,"  said  Mrs.  Morley,  at  length,  "  and  you 
must  see  Redlands,  and  Smiley  Heights ;  and  after 
that,  Mt.  Lowe,  and  Catalina  — " 

"  And  only  three  or  four  days  to  do  them  in," 
said  Phil,  "  for  it  has  been  decided  that  we  go  to 
San  Diego  early  next  week." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  sighed  Mrs.  Morley,  "  why  can't 
you  stay  right  along;  just  settle  here?  You  can't 
find  a  better  place." 

"  That  is  easy  to  believe,"  said  Carol. 

"  We'll  come  back  and  take  you  and  Charles 
with  us  to  the  Panama  Pacific  Exposition,"  of- 
fered Phil,  cheerfully. 

"Oh,  wouldn't  that  be  lovely,  if  they'll  go," 
said  Carol. 

"  Ida  can  go  as  well  as  not,  if  I  can't,"  Mr. 
Morley  answered. 

"  Oh,  I  shall  wait  until  you  can  go  too, 
Charles,"  she  declared :  "  I  couldn't  be  happy  up 


LITTLE  JOURNEYS  185 

there  looking  at  all  those  beautiful  sights  and 
thinking  of  you  working  away  alone  at  home." 

"  There  is  wifely  sympathy  illustrated  for  us," 
said  Marshall. 

"  And  the  unselfish  husband  exemplified,  too," 
submitted  Phil. 

"  I  shall  always  think  of  you,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Morley,  as  a  model  couple,"  exclaimed  Ruby. 

"  We've  been  '  keeping  the  best  foot  forward,' 
since  you  came,"  said  Mr.  Morley  without  a  sem- 
blance of  a  smile,  and  his  wife  added: 

"  '  There's  more  truth  than  poetry  '  in  that. 
You  should  have  seen  us  dressing  it  up  before  you 
came."  And  laughing  aloud,  she  questioned :  "  I 
wonder  what  they  would  have  thought  if  they 
had  seen  me  among  the  paint  pots  and  samples  of 
wall  paper?  " 

"Ha,  ha,"  laughed  Phil  in  turn.  "Did  you 
go  to  all  that  trouble  for  us  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly ;  but  you  stirred  up  our  ambition, 
don't  you  know,"  she  replied.  "  As  to  being 
models,  we  make  no  pretentions,  though  it's  nice 
of  you  to  say  so,  Ruby." 

A  little  later,  Stephen  with  the  car  was  waiting 
under  the  porte-cochere. 

"  Them  young  folks  have  'livened  things  up 
equal  to  a  circus,  with  the  parades  and  side  shows 
thrown  in,"  he  told  himself.  "  'T  will  seem  lone- 
some like,  when  they're  gone.  And  to  think  they 
come  a  beggin'  or  pretendin'  to,"  he  chuckled, 


186  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

giving  his  head,  meanwhile,  an  affirmative  shake. 
"The  old  lady,  she's  jolly,  too,  in  a  way,  but, — 
Gimminy  Christmas  !  —  how  she  hates  this  gasoline 
wagon."  At  this  point,  Stephen  rubbed  his  knee 
with  his  gloved  hand,  as  if  it  might  help  him  to 
realize  a  wish  that  the  party  would  appear. 

Presently,  out  they  came,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mor- 
ley,  Carol,  Ruby,  Phil  and  Mr.  Nicholson,  with 
grips  and  wraps  for  a  trip  across  country.  The 
Denver  people  at  the  hotel,  the  Tolmys  and  their 
maid,  Marshall  and  Mrs.  Dobbins  were  to  meet 
them  that  evening  at  Riverside, —  the  hotel  con- 
tingent and  others  named  going  by  rail. 

"  It's  suthin'  of  an  undertakin'  fer  me,"  said 
the  old  lady  to  Mrs.  Merriman,  "  but  they  dew  say 
it's  wuth  the  trouble  of  goin'.  It  wouldn't  be 
wuth  it  tew  me,  ef  I  hed  tew  ride  in  that  'ere 
machine  of  Charles's." 

"  No?  Well,  one  does  have  to  get  used  to 
them." 

"  I  c'u'd  as  soon  get  yewsed  tew  a  cyclone, 
seems  tew  me.  They  aire  a  good  deal  like  'em,  in 
some  respecks :  a  whizzin'  an'  whirrin'  an'  tearin' 
along,  fillin'  the  air  with  dust,  an'  ez  likely  ez  not 
upsettin'  things  that  come  in  their  way.  I'm 
thanful  yeou  aire  willin'  tew  take  me  with  yeou." 

At  six  P.  M.,  those  who  went  by  rail  were  at  the 
famous  Mission  Inn.  They  had  removed  their 
wraps  and  were  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  Morley 
car. 


LITTLE  JOURNEYS  187 

'*  It's  strange  they  aren't  in,"  said  Dr.  Merri- 
man,  who  for  the  third  or  fourth  time  had  traversed 
the  piazzas,  looking  for  the  absent  party. 

"  They  are  probably  all  right,  somewhere," 
said  his  wife.  "  You  know  you've  told  me  a  thou- 
sand times  that  it  doesn't  do  anyone  any  good  to 
worry." 

"  That's  a  fact.  It  does  harm;  but  they  should 
have  been  here  an  hour  ago,  and  we're  all  hungry, 
at  least  I  am." 

"  Very  likely  they  have  taken  some  side  trip 
to  see  some  unusual  thing,  a  model  ranch,  perhaps. 
The  country  is  perfectly  wonderful!  But  don't 
for  anything  scare  old  Mrs.  Dobbins.  She's  mor- 
tally afraid  of  an  automobile,  anyway." 

The  old  lady  sat  at  one  end  of  a  large  sun  par- 
lor and  was  conversing  with  Mrs.  Tolmy. 

Quarter  past  six  —  half  past  —  quarter  of 
seven  —  and  still  the  Morley  party  were  ab- 
sent. 

"  You'd  better  take  the  rest  of  the  women  folks 
here,  and  go  in  to  dinner,"  suggested  the  doctor 
to  his  wife.  "  Possibly  Marshall  will  go  with  you. 
I'll  watch  out  awhile  longer,  though  probably  they 
wouldn't  expect  anyone  to,  and  would  rather  we 
would  all  eat." 

"  I  think  so,"  she  replied ;  and  turning  to  Mar- 
shall, who  was  also  on  the  watch,  she  asked  his 
opinion. 

"  I'm  not  anticipating  trouble,"  he  said,  "  that 
is,  anything  serious.  Some  trivial  accident  may 


188  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

have  caused  delay  for  repairs.  I'll  take  you  ladies 
in  to  dinner,  if  you  wish." 

But  the  two  failed  to  induce  Mrs.  Tolmy, 
Evelyn  or  Aunt  Lucinda  to  go  to  the  dining  room. 

"  We  would  feel  better  to  wait  and  dine  to- 
gether when  they  shall  have  come,"  said  Mrs. 
Tolmy. 

"  I  haven't  much  appetite,  I  ate  so  heartily  at 
lunch  time,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  I  thought  you  were  imitating  a  bird,"  said 
Marshall.  "  How  do  you  subsist  on  so  little?  " 

"  You  couldn't  have  been  very  observing,"  she 
laughed.  "  Do  I  look  like  a  fairy,  Mrs.  Merri- 
man?" 

"  I  should  call  you  quite  a  substantial  young 
lady ;  but  I've  known  people  to  thrive  on  very 
little,  sometimes  —  that  is  a  small  amount  of 
victuals  —  where  there's  a  mental  or  heart  stimu- 
lus," she  said,  smiling  at  Marshall. 

"  Ah,  Mrs.  Merriman,  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say 
that,"  he  returned.  "  I'll  remember  it,  not  to  save 
victuals,  but  worry,"  he  admitted. 

Aunt  Lucinda  was  strangely  silent. 

"Aren't  you  hungry,  auntie?"  asked  Mrs. 
Merriman,  who  had  readily  adopted  the  familiar 
title. 

"  No,  I  never  feel  like  eatin'  when  mebbe  there's 
trouble  fer  some  o'  my  folks,"  she  answered, 
grimly.  "  We  don't  none  of  us  know  what's  hap- 
pened. Mebbe  they're  all  a  lyin'  stark  dead  by  the 
roadside,  this  minute.  I  can't  help  a  thinkin' 


LITTLE  JOURNEYS  189 

that  mebbe  they  wuz  all  tew  happy  last  night,  tew 
hev  it  last." 

"  I  think  not,"  said  Mrs.  Merriman.  "  We 
ought  to  be  happy,  when  it's  possible." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  we  are  here,"  said  Evelyn. 
"  We  know  ice  are  safe." 

"  I  dun'no'  abeout  that  child,"  objected  Aunt 
Lucinda.  "  We  ken  never  tell  what  may  happen 
tew  any  of  us.  There  might  be  an  earthquake,  or 
a  simoon,  'r  a  tidal  wave,  'r  suthin'  tew  destroy  us 
right  here.  We're  all  sinful  creetur's." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Evelyn,  with  a  joyous,  little 
start:  "Look  there!" 

Directly  there  appeared,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
sun  parlor,  a  radiant  face  overtopped  by  fluffy, 
golden  hair ;  and  a  sweetly  musical  voice  rang  out 
with  the  words :  "  Here  I  am,  auntie  and  Evelyn 
and  all, —  and  the  rest  are  coming.  Did  you 
worry  about  us?  The  doctor  thought  so.  I'm 
awfully  sorry.  We  stopped  back  aways  to  see  a 
really  and  truly  aeroplane,  right  where  we  could 
examine  it  closely,  and  we  saw  it  start  off  and 
go  sailing  —  oh  —  ever  so  high !  It  was  grand ! 
I  wanted  to  go  up  in  it,  but  the  folks  wouldn't  let 
me." 

Mrs.  Dobbins  had  jumped  up  at  sight  of  Carol 
as  if  she  had  seen  an  apparition,  and  as  the  girl 
drew  nearer,  she  reached  out  her  bony  hands,  let- 
ting them  fall  on  Carol's  shoulders,  as  she  asserted 
solemnly,  "  Ef  yeou  hed  a  be'n  killed,  child,  I'd 
a'most, —  I  don't  say  quite,  but  a'most, —  lost  my 


190  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

faith  in  Proverdunce.  'T  w'u'd  'a'  g'in  it  a  tur- 
rible  shock !  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  quite  alive,  auntie,  thank  you,  and 
ravenously  hungry,"  declared  Carol,  patting  the 
old  lady's  cheek,  dimples  deepening  as  she  smiled. 

A  little  later,  walking  with  her  to  the  dining 
room,  she  drew  the  lady's  hand  within  her  arm  and 
said  low :  "  Whatever  happens  don't  worry 
auntie,  especially  about  me.  I'm  young  and  not 
very  wise,  perhaps,  but  it  looks  to  me,  this  way : 
God  couldn't  have  made  us  free,  in  every  right 
sense  of  the  word,  and  then  have  shut  us  up  in  a 
safety-deposit  vault.  Now,  could  he  ?  —  And 
suppose,  auntie,  your  son,  Jimmie,  should  play  a 
game  of  foot-ball  and  get  his  nose  mashed,  or  his 
elbow  dislocated  by  the  means,  then  some  one 
should  come  to  you  and  say  he  thought  'twas  cruel 
and  negligent  in  Jimmie's  wife  not  to  have  pre- 
vented him  in  the  first  place,  when  she  might  have 
done  so.  You  would  feel  like  saying  that  Jimmie 
wasn't  tied  to  his  wife's  apron  strings.  Wouldn't 
you?  And  that  Jimmie's  wife  wouldn't  want  him 
to  be." 

"  Wall,  mebbe  —  mebbe  I  would.  I  should 
think  Jimmie  wuz  drefful  foolish  ef  he  got  intew 
sech  a  scrape  with  sech  a  big  fam'ly  dependunt  on 
him.  But  I  wouldn't  want  nobuddy  tew  say  my 
Jimmie  wuz  henpecked." 

"  No,  indeed  you  wouldn't !  And  Jimmie 
wouldn't  endanger  his  life  without  some  good  rea- 
son; nor  would  I." 


LITTLE  JOURNEYS  191 

"  Wall,"  quoted  Aunt  Lucinda,  "  «  A  little  child 
shell  lead  'em,'  an'  I  guess  mebbe  yeou're  a  leadin' 
—  an'  I'm  willin',"  she  murmured.  "  Things  look 
sorter  skewin'  to  old  folks,  sometimes,  I  guess, 
mebbe." 

Leaving  the  dining  room,  the  party  stopped  in 
the  lobby  to  consider  some  plan  for  spending  the 
evening  "  pleasantly  and  profitably,"  as  Dr.  Mer- 
riman  put  it.  Someone  volunteered  the  informa- 
tion that  an  organ  recital  in  the  chapel  was  "  on," 
and  someone  else,  that  an  amateur  minstrel  per- 
formance would  be  held  at  a  certain  music  hall 
for  the  benefit  of  some  philanthropic  organiza- 
tion. 

"  I  believe  that  would  suit  us,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  What  do  you  think,  good  people  ?  And  will 
you  go  with  the  rest,  Mrs.  Dobbins  ?  " 

"  Ef  Carol  goes,  I'm  a  goin',"  she  assented.  "  I 
guess  mebbe  ef  it's  tew  be  home  talunt,  an'  fer 
charity,  it  ain't  nuthin'  very  bad." 

All  decided  to  attend  the  minstrel  show,  and 
found  it  quite  amusing.  Mrs.  Dobbins  was  as  gay 
as  a  short  time  before  she  had  been  depressed,  and 
laughed  until  tears  filled  her  eyes  over  a  touching 
little  "  coon  song  "  sung  by  a  tot  of  six  or  seven, 
blackened  to  the  depths  of  charcoal,  barefooted 
and  clothed  in  a  curtailed  garment  of  white  cheese- 
cloth. 

"  Real  funny,  ain't  it,  auntie?  "  whispered  Phil, 
in  her  ear. 

"  Humph !  It's  redikerlus ;  but  I  can't  help 
laughin',"  she  answered. 


192  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  That  is  an  indication  that  you  are  happy  and 
thankful,"  he  observed. 

"I  be  —  an'  I  hope  it'll  last  a  spell,"  she  con- 
fessed. 

Another  day,  a  shift  of  scenes,  and  the  party, 
having  left  the  shaded  drives  and  splendid  views 
of  Riverside,  were  winding  their  way  up  the  noted 
Smiley  Heights,  at  Redlands.  It  was  a  hillside 
garden,  a  magnificent  private  park,  an  earthly 
paradise :  banks  of  flowers  in  variety,  overshadow- 
ing trees,  sunlight  filtering  through  to  earth,  mak- 
ing rainbows  in  dewdrops  and  fountain-sprays ; 
and  below,  an  expanse  of  splendid  ranch  lands, 
stretching  out,  green  and  golden,  in  waves  of 
grass,  blossom-sprinkled;  in  twining  vines,  and 
fruit-laden  trees,  to  the  grand  chain  of  the 
Sierras.  It  was  a  joy  to  breathe,  a  joy  to  see, 
a  joy  to  feel!  Carol  expressed  the  joy  in  words, 
when  she  said :  "  A  bevy  of  angels  would  make  it 
a  manifestation  of  Heaven !  " 

"  Yeou'll  dew  fer  one  of  'em,  I  guess,"  said  Mrs. 
Dobbins,  who  had  begged  to  be  allowed  to  ride 
with  her  favorite. 

"  If  she  only  had  some  wings,  now,"  said  Phil. 

"  The  sperit  of  human  kindness  will  dew  jest 
as  well,  I  guess,  mebbe,"  was  the  reply. 

A  day  of  rain  followed;  beautiful,  softly  pour- 
ing rain,  which  the  ranchers  welcomed ;  and  towns- 
people were  apparently  little  inconvenienced  by  it. 


LITTLE  JOURNEYS  193 

"  The  first,  for  us,"  said  Marshall,  "  and  we  like 
to  see  all  sorts  while  we  are  here." 

Again,  sunshine,  and  Catalina  Island,  with  its 
extended  beach,  its  stretches  of  blue  sea,  beyond, 
its  mountains,  hotels  and  cottages,  and  its  wonder- 
ful glass-bottomed  boats,  in  which  the  party  sur- 
veyed the  exquisite  marine  gardens  alongshore. 

Afterward,  came  a  visit  to  Mt.  Lowe,  with  its 
steep  "  incline,"  its  dizzy  line  of  railway  over 
chasms  and  up  ascending  grades,  revealing  yet 
more  of  the  splendors  of  valley  and  hillside. 

Then,  Mt.  Wilson,  the  lofty,  with  its  long,  sin- 
uous trail,  red  cheeks  and  "  jollification." 

"  Picking  oranges  and  orange  blossoms  from 
green  trees  this  morning,  and  snowballing  this 
afternoon,  all  within  a  radius  of  a  few  miles !  "  ex- 
claimed Phil.  "  That's  going  some !  " 

"  It  beats  me !  In  fact,  I've  nothing  more  to 
say,"  replied  Marshall. 

"  Not  if  I  should  hit  you  squarely  on  the  nose 
with  this  ?  "  asked  Evelyn,  playfully  holding  up  a 
formidable  looking  ball,  her  face  aglow,  and  her 
blue  eyes  scintillant. 

Marshall  retaliated  by  catching  girl  and  ball, 
and  with  the  latter,  rubbing,  not  too  strenuously, 
the  girl's  already  rosy  cheeks. 

Carol  remarked  slyly  to  Ruby :  "  The  blue- 
bell has  become  a  rose !  Do  look !  Isn't  she 
cute?  " 

"  I  wouldn't  have  believed  she  could  be  so  full 
of  fun,"  answered  Ruby,  pressing  snow  in  her  two 


194  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

hands  which  she  intended  for  Mr.  Morley,  who  had 
shown  himself  a  belligerent. 

"  Ah,  there !  Look  out,  Ruby !  There's  an- 
other ball  coming,"  shouted  Phil. 

Ruby  dodged  quickly,  and,  stumbling  over  an  un- 
noticed obstacle  in  the  path,  fell  into  a  snow  bank. 
Phil  and  Mr.  Morley  rushed  to  the  rescue ;  but 
Ruby,  unhurt,  had  picked  herself  up  in  an  instant, 
and  having  clung  to  her  ball  with  one  hand,  tossed 
it  at  close  range,  knocking  Phil's  hat  askew. 

"  That's  what  I  call  plucky,"  said  Mr.  Morley. 
"  I  haven't  had  so  much  sport  in  a  dog's  age." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Phil,  replacing  his  hat. 

At  this  juncture,  Mrs.  Morley  and  Mr.  Nichol- 
son appeared,  and  the  lady  announced :  "  Tea 
is  ready  in  our  shanty." 


CHAPTER  XIX 
GOOD-BY 

"  Off  for  San  Diego ! "  Phil's  voice  reached 
the  delinquent  young  ladies,  giving  last  touches 
to  their  traveling  garb,  in  the  room  above  stairs, 
which,  for  a  fortnight,  quickly  passed,  had  held 
the  many  little  appurtenances  of  their  wardrobe ; 
kept  secretly  within  its  four  walls  the  confidences 
they  had  there  whispered  to  each  other,  and  had 
been  a  place  of  seclusion  for  tumultuous  thoughts, 
both  grave  and  gay. 

Carol,  keenly  alive  to  the  sentiment  of  things, 
exclaimed :  "  Wherever  we  go,  there  will  never 
be  a  dearer  place  for  us,  than  this.  Why,  Ruby, 
I  feel  as  if  we  had  made  friends  with  the  furni- 
ture; and  I  would  like  to  shake  hands  with  every 
piece,  and  say  fare-you-well  to  the  doorknob !  " 

"  I  suppose  —  But  do  let's  hurry !  I  believe 
they  are  leaving  us  down  below." 

"  Here  goes,"  obeyed  Carol  and  tossed  a  kiss 
from  her  fingers,  indiscriminately,  as  she  said: 
"  Good-by,  dear,  dear  room  !  " 

Phil  met  her  at  the  top  of  the  stairway. 

"  Hello,"  she  said,  surprised. 

"  That  room!  If  it  had  ears,  I  should  be  jeal- 
ous," he  laughed.  "  Anything  for  me  to  carry 

down?" 

195 


196  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

"  Yes,  these  umbrellas,  please,  and  —  say, 
Phil, —  would  you  mind  carrying  me  ?  " 

At  the  instant,  she  turned  and,  fleeing  along  the 
corridor,  escaped  her  pursuer  by  a  hand's  breadth, 
as  she  ran,  half  leaped  down  the  back  stairs  and 
out  into  the  kitchen,  where  the  cook,  bread-knife 
in  hand,  gaped  at  the  scurrying  pair. 

"  Here  we  are,  and  good-by,"  gasped  Carol. 

"  My !  But  you  give  me  the  scare.  And  it's 
sorry  I  be  that  you're  goin',"  she  said. 

Phil  offered  her  his  disengaged  hand  for  a  part- 
ing shake.  "  I  hope  you  will  pardon  the  fright," 
he  said :  "  We  "were  rather  unceremonious,"  and 
he  slipped  a  bill  into  her  palm,  "  to  keep  for  luck." 

Carol  opened  her  Japanese  bag  and  took  out 
some  trinkets  which  she  and  Ruby  had  purchased 
for  the  cook  and  second  maid. 

In  the  upper  hall,  Mrs.  Dobbins  was  saying  ex- 
citedly, to  Ruby :  "  Did  yeou  hear  that  turrible 
noise  jest  neow,  like  suthin'  tumblin'?  Dew  yeou 
s'pose  somebuddy's  hurt  ?  —  Carol,  mebbe  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,  Mrs.  Dobbins.  It  was  Carol  and 
Phil  having  a  race." 

"  Wall,  I  never !  I  sh'u'd  think  they'd  be  tired 
'nough  tew  set  deown  and  rest  a  spell,  after  bein' 
up  pritty  much  all  night  with  comp'ny.  I  never 
could  see  no  yewse  in  tuckerin'  yeourself  all  eout 
jest  ez  yeour  goin'  tew  start  on  a  journey." 

"  Ho  —  ho  —  ha  —  ha  —  ha,"  from  below. 

"  There  they  be  neow !  Such  goin's  on !  "  said 
Mrs.  Dobbins,  softly. 


GOOD-BY  197 

"  Want  your  veil  tied,  auntie  ?  "  called  Carol, 
presently,  catching  a  glimpse  of  the  old  lady  as  she 
peered  down  over  the  balustrade. 

In  the  same  moment,  she  was  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs  to  assist. 

"  Why,  yes,  yeou  might  pin  it  to  the  back  of 
my  bunnit,  ef  yeou  want  tew,"  was  the  meek  reply. 

"  Do  you  think  I'm  a  terror,  again,  auntie  ? 
I'm  so  happy  I  feel  like  dancing  a  jig,  right  now. 
Will  you  dance  with  me?  Do  —  just  once  — 
please  do,"  and  catching  the  elder  woman  firmly 
by  the  waist,  she  swung  her  around,  once,  twice, 
thrice,  as  she  hummed  a  merry  air  to  keep  time. 

"  Wall,  yeou  beat  me !  Is  that  what  yeou  call 
waltzin'?  "  she  asked,  as  her  feet  rested  again  on 
the  floor. 

"  Yes,  auntie,  and  isn't  it  jolly?  Want  to  waltz 
some  more?  " 

"  I  guess  mebbe  that'll  dew  fer  this  time.  We 
don't  want  tew  be  late  fer  the  train ;  and  don't 
yeou,  raelly  now,  think  it's  kinder  f riverlous  ?  " 

"  I  would  call  it  being  frivolous  to  spend  most 
of  my  time  that  way,  just  as  I  would  to  spend  most 
of  it  eating  bread  and  honey,  or  playing  cards, 
or  golf,  or  going  to  shows,  or  on  my  knees  pray- 
ing, or  at  church, — '  temperance  in  all  things,' 
you  know.  But  once  in  awhile,  auntie, —  just 
once  in  awhile, —  there's  positively  nothing  else 
which  can  express  my  mood  like  dancing."  Carol 
proceeded  to  fasten  the  gloves  on  the  worn  hands, 
as  she  continued,  soberly :  "  Do  you  suppose, 


198  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

auntie,  that  Heaven  can  ever  be  anywhere,  except 
within  ourselves  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes ;  the  Bible  tells  abeout  the  New 
Jerus'lum  and  —  the  many  mansions.  It  must  be 
some  sort  of  a  place,  it  'pears  tew  me." 

"  Of  which  Los  Angeles,  with  its  beautiful 
homes,  is  typical?  " 

"  I  sh'u'd  say  they  ain't  nuthin'  on  earth  that 
ken  be  compared  tew  it." 

"  Sometimes,  you  know,  people  are  awfully  un- 
happy in  the  very  most  beautiful  places  in  all  the 
world.  Don't  you  believe  happiness,  even  in 
Heaven,  must  depend  on  the  way  we  feel?  " 

The  gloves  were  fastened,  and  Carol  laid  the 
camel's-hair  shawl  across  her  arm  as  she  spoke. 

"  I  dun'no',  child  — '  Ask  me  suthin'  easy  '  as 
my  Lishy  w'u'd  say.  But  ef  I  ever  get  intew 
one  o'  them  he'v'nly  mansions,  I  shell  expect  tew 
be  happy.  Anybuddy  who  can't  be,  won't  be- 
long." 

"  That's  logic,  good,  sound  logic,  I  think, 
auntie,"  concluded  Carol,  supporting  her  com- 
panion down  the  stairway.  "  I  wish  you  were 
going  with  us,  to  San  Diego;  but  you'll  promise 
to  come  and  visit  me,  sometime,  won't  you,  auntie? 
Will  you  come  to  my  wedding?  "  she  whispered. 

"  I'd  love  tew,  but  I  don't  s'pose  I  ken.  Yeou 
must  bring  Phil  tew  see  me,  afterwa'ds." 

"  All  ready  ?  Time  to  start,"  called  Mr.  Mor- 
ley  from  the  doorway  leading  to  the  porte-cochere. 

A  short  drive,  and  a  few  steps  brought  the  party 


GOOD-BY  199 

to  the  long  platform  of  the  station,  where  the  ladies 
gave  each  other  parting  injunctions  and  renewed 
their  declarations  of  the  happy,  happy  time  spent 
in  Los  Angeles.  The  gentlemen  were  attending 
to  baggage  and  checks. 

Dr.  Merriman  was  smiling  and  brisk,  the  dys- 
peptic patient  was  likewise  smiling,  and  almost 
brisk.  Mr.  Nicholson,  ever  thoughtful  of  others, 
returned  from  the  baggage  room  with  a  box  of 
chocolate  caramels,  which  he  had  extracted  from 
his  grip  and  generously  proceeded  to  distribute, 
together  with  some  pocket-folders  gotten  out  by 
the  company  over  whose  road  they  were  to  travel. 

Miss  Tolmy  in  a  suit  of  blue  was  chatting  en- 
thusiastically, with  Miss  Winthrop  and  Mar- 
shall. 

"  Don't  Marshall  and  Miss  Tolmy  make  a  stun- 
ning couple?  "  asked  Mrs.  Morley  of  Ruby. 

"  Yes,  and  they  can  afford  to  be  with  half  a 
million  in  prospect.  I  am  glad  Marshall  had  the 
good  luck  to  get  her." 

"  Why  ?  He  doesn't  need  the  money,  'spe- 
cially." 

"  No,  but  it  will  give  him  confidence." 

"  Marshall's  professional  ability,  which  Phil 
tells  us  is  most  promising,  should  offset  the  girl's 
financial  prospects  through  her  ancestors." 

"  To  be  sure.  They  are  well-mated,  I  think," 
concluded  Ruby. 

"  Now  tell  us,  Mrs.  Morley,  how  glad  you  are 
to  see  us  going,"  demanded  the  doctor,  stepping 


200  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

up.  "  It'll  give  you  a  needed  rest,  don't  you 
know?  " 

"  Oh,  it's  dreadful  to  lose  you,  all  at  once, 
nearly,  too!  Aunt  Lucinda  and  I  shall  feel  like 
old  mother-birds  going  back  to  a  deserted  nest. 
Won't  we,  aunt  ?  " 

"  'Twill  be  pritty  lonesome ;  but  we'll  hev  tew 
stan'  it.  They's  nuthin*  else  we  ken  dew,  ez  I 
ken  see,"  then,  as  the  thought  occurred  to  her: 
"  Yeou  folks  must  write  tew  us,  an'  tell  us  heow 
yeou  aire  a  gettin'  on,  an'  heow  yeou  like  the  fair." 

"  To  be  sure  we  will,"  answered  Phil ;  and  Carol 
patted  her  on  the  shoulder  as  if  she  were  a  baby, 
and  her  very  own. 

"  I  hope  yeou'll  allers  be  good  tew  her,  Phil. 
I've  made  up  my  mind  she's  wuth  it,"  she  ad- 
monished. 

"  Trust  me,"  he  said,  gripping  her  hand  : 
"  You'll  see  us  at  Bolton  on  our  wedding  trip, 
possibly.  We  won't  forget  you,  anyway,  wher- 
ever we  go." 

"  Well,  good-by,  auntie,  good-by  all.  We've 
had  the  most  delightful  visit  ever,  Mrs.  Morley," 
said  Carol,  and  off  dashed  the  vivacious  couple 
through  the  iron  gateway  leading  to  the  tracks. 

Mr.  Morley  followed  with  some  of  their  grips. 

"  Good-by,  Aunt  Lucinda.  Good-by,  Mrs. 
Morley.  I've  had  '  the  time  of  my  life,' "  ex- 
claimed Ruby,  kissing  them  both,  hastily.  This 
declaration,  though  trite,  was  none  the  less  ac- 
ceptable. 


GOOD-BY  201 

The  last  farewells  over,  Mrs.  Morley  inquired 
of  Mrs.  Dobbins :  "  Wouldn't  you  rather  have 
Steve  drive  us  around  a  little  and  then  take  lunch 
at  a  cafe  than  to  go  directly  home?  It  will  seem 
so  lonely  there,  I  feel  like  putting  off  as  long  as  I 
can." 

"  Jest  ez  yeou  say,  Ida,  ef  'twon't  be  tew  much 
expense.  You've  be'n  tew  an  awful  lot,  hevin' 
so  much  comp'ny." 

"  We've  been  more  than  paid  in  the  good  times 
we've  had,"  she  replied. 

Mrs.  Dobbins  had  but  little  longer  to  remain  in 
the  city,  as  the  Seldens  soon  arrived,  and  after  a 
brief  visit,  took  her  away  with  them  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

"  The  last  remnant  of  our  house  party ! "  said 
Mr.  Morley  to  his  wife,  as  he  picked  up  a  forgot- 
ten handkerchief  marked  "  L.  D."  from  the  floor  of 
the  living  room.  "  Aunt  Lucinda  wouldn't  have 
left  that  a  few  years  ago.  It  shows  age  on  her 
part." 

"  She  still  has  a  pretty  keen  mind,  though, 
Charles,  and  I  shall  miss  her  a  great  deal  more  than 
I  had  expected  to,  and  in  a  different  way." 

"  Yes,"  with  a  smile  twitching  the  corners  of 
his  mouth,  "  I  never  saw  such  a  change  in  anybody 
in  a  short  time,  before,  in  my  life.  Why  she  wasn't 
a  bad  person  to  have  around,  by  the  time  she  got 
ready  to  go.  That's  a  fact.  You  and  Carol  re- 
constructed her,  someway." 

"  Give  the   credit  to  Carol.     That  girl  would 


202  THE  WONDER  GIRL 

make  a  domestic  pussy  of  a  wildcat,  or  a  diplomat 
of  a  bushwhacker!  Phil  was  mighty  lucky  to  win 
her." 

"  So  I  think ;  and  I'm  glad  Ruby  chose  Mr. 
Nicholson.  She  couldn't  have  been  happy  with 
Marshall,  they're  too  much  alike." 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  it,  but  I  believe  you  are 
right.  And  isn't  it  perfectly  wonderful  how  Miss 
Tolmy  blossomed  out  in  his  company  ?  " 

Mr.  Morley  chuckled.  "  I  think,  at  bottom,  the 
whole  arrangement  is  chiefly  your  doing,  Ida." 

"  I've  felt  the  weight  of  responsibility,  I  can  as- 
sure you,"  she  acknowledged.  "  If  one  of  those 
couples  should  turn  out  badly  — " 

"  Don't  you  worry !  They  are  thoroughbreds, 
every  one  of  them,  and  there's  little  danger  of 
divorces  following  such  mating." 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Charles. 
But  they  have  assumed  big  responsibilities.  Just 
think  of  that !  " 

"  No  more  than  we  assumed,  are  they  ?  Be- 
sides, I'd  rather  think  of  something  to  eat,  just 
now.  Is  dinner  most  ready?  "  he  asked  with  a 
fine  air  of  nonchalance,  which  elicited  from  Mrs. 
Morley  the  characteristic  response : 

"  Charles  Henry !     How  can  you  ?  " 


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